


Percabeth Selection

by Myao3account



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - The Selection Fusion, Angst, Best Friends, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Jealous Annabeth Chase, Jealousy, Kissing, Love, Modern Royalty, Original Character(s), Prince Percy Jackson, Relationship(s), Romance, Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 125,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24877279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myao3account/pseuds/Myao3account
Summary: Updated: Feb 14th, Valentines Day, 2021Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase. Selection.Annabeth in her muddled jeans, and hair tied in a messy bun looks nothing like a princess.But sometimes, just sometimes...Seeing her wearing his crown and tending to his legs after a minor accident during one game of capture the flag with his friends, Percy wonders if he ever wants a Selection.Or, thinks that if it were just up to him, he would never need a selection.But Percy is a prince.He can't manipulate the process of selection and he can only hope the universe sends the right people his way.Or... Can he?Neither of them wish to spoil what they already have, so they swear to themselves that their friendship would come first no matter what.But with a wall of 34 other girls between them, is it possible to keep jealousy, possessiveness, doubt and all the other feelings from changing them?Will they both find the strength in themselves to put their bond through it and come out unbroken?Or will what was first taken as a leap of faith ruin their dynamics once and for all?Happy reading.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Juniper/Grover Underwood, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Silena Beauregard/Charles Beckendorf
Comments: 293
Kudos: 244





	1. "She's the best!!"

**Author's Note:**

> BEFORE YOU GUYS DECIDE MY WORK IS COPYWRITTEN,  
> I have posted the same story in other sites too so yeah..

**“** **_Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."_ **

**_\- Lao Tzu_ **

** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **

Someone kicked the door of the Prince's room open and Percy, even without caring to look towards it in his half asleep half awake state knew who it was.

No one but his personal guard Jason Grace would even dare to enter his room without permission, let alone kick his door and damage the latches for possibly the fifth time this year.

"Percy, it is already noon you asshole"

Percy groaned and he felt the starting of a headache. He'd spent too much time yesternight pondering over telling the council to fuck off from his life and cancel The Selection. At one point he almost marched to the king's room in hope of explaining that he wasn't ready.

_Because.. because._

He wondered if he would ever feel ready.

But he knew that with the council pushing the king over his limits, with the neighbouring countries' sensitive border issues, with Estelle's constant attention need, his drama with something he knew was coming for months isn't something he can dump on the king, _on his father_ he had thought, at the eleventh hour.

_Would they even care about what he says?_

Now waking up in the morning (noon actually), just 3 hours before The Selection officially commerced, he wished he had been tad bit bolder from the start with everything.

 _Which start?_ His mind asked. But he just jumped out of bed trying to zone into Jason's words.

Last minute philosophy gets you no where.

"... thought you left the palace you idiot. I am responsible for your ass you know? You seriously got me scared one minute there Percy. Why don't you understand that this isn't just..."

"Okay okay shut up. I get it, I overslept, my mistake, forgive me" Percy scoffs, almost emotionless.

Jason presses his lips unsure of how to handle the sudden change of mood. "Look man, I know there is a lot in your head right now but you need to be presentable to the country in a few hours. So please, get your ass to the restrooms and stop panicking your stylists more than you already have. The maids have rung your room bell at least thirty times now. You should be up before they decide against my opinion and tell the king."

_I know._

Percy sighs and nods.

It has been a week since Percy spent time with Annabeth. He just got so busy with all the rules and regulations regarding his selection that he couldn't give enough time for his best friends. They talked a little during breakfast, spared glances in the hallways and that's it. Jason insisted cancelling capture the flag but Percy told them to play without him. He didn't even get around enough to know if they actually _did_ play without him.

And now that Percy was standing in front of a hundred cameras and his kingdom's scrutinising eyes, he wished he had got some last minute advice. Annabeth was always the better strategist among his friends. It was like she just knew how to handle situations. She always boasted of having a plan in her head, something Percy seldom did.

_That said, Percy, for the last half an hour has been intentionally avoiding Annabeth and her eyes._

Annabeth had agreed to be one of the helpers of the event. She dressed up in a beautiful white silk material that flowed out in a umbrella just under her hip till just below her knee. The ends had small while feathers attached to the dress, making her look soft. So un-annabeth-ly soft. Percy knew from he moment he saw her from his side vision that he couldn't concentrate on the cameras if he _actually_ saw her.

_Why is she here? He wants to ask._

The trumpet announced the beginning of The Selection and each royal traditionally splits the number of candidates they can pic from the lot.

Paul, Percy's father and ruling king; Sally, Percy's mother; Percy himself; Tyson, Percy's younger brother; Estelle, Percy's younger sister; Miranda; Paul's mother and Edward, Paul's mother's brother were the 7 royals who would pick 5 girls each to compete in The Selection.

They were traditionally supposed to pick 5 from each number but there were no rules on how they divided the picks. Usually when five people have been picked from a province rest the poll is taken away to avoid confusion.

To the kingdom and press's eyes, age was the only criteria but percy _knew_ better than that. He knew that each girl whose names were currently written in bits of paper and put into 7 different lottery pools, arranged elegantly right in front of the camera, each representing 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s and 8s respectively were all carefully scrutinized for criminal records, misconduct, academics, family background and as much as percy would like to say no, appearance too.

_It wasn't enough if someone is worthy enough a queen at heart. She had to look worthy enough too. She had to win the_ _press'_ _, the family's and the prince's heart_ _afterall_ _._

The king selected the first girl. He put his right hand inside the first box allotted for the 2s and seemed to pick a few papers before he settled on one. Percy didn't really understand, it wasn't like they could see what was written inside before they pulled it up as a Selected. Maybe his father was leaving it all to his gut.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare of Effla", he called out.

A beautiful redhead's photo was displayed in the huge projector screen on the left. She was slightly younger than Percy noticed Annabeth (based on the discription that appeared on the screen), just a inch shorter than Percy, tall with a slim figure.

 _Everything that I'm not._ Thinks Annabeth.

They then projected another close up photo where her piercing green eyes were even more prominent and they alone seemed to capture the audience's eyes.

_Gosh, what was I even thinking when I agreed to do this?_

Annabeth tried hard not to look at Percy's reaction from where she stood next to the king. She had the duty of collecting all the Selected names in a transparent jar (designed with golden threads and colourful feathers). The jar was plastered to a golden square plate and it was her job to hold the plate out to the royal after he or she read out the name.

The king then moved on to 3s pile and picked out a card without a second thought this time. A girl named Stella Werner appeared on screen. The girl had neatly curled dark brown hair which was bleached at the ends.

_Annabeth felt her heart break a little. One down, four more chances._

She didn't _want_ to zone out in such an important event but she found herself doing _just that._ Percy stood with the other six royals at least 15 feet away from her. He wore his official uniform: A dark blue coat with all of his medals and family emblems. A light blue shirt underneath which looked too tight to be comfortable and a gold tie matching all of his other accessories. His dark hair was waxed into side to give him a boyish look, contradicting his other features.

_He was a sight today._

She tried to not linger on to it for long.

 _He is your best friend._ Her mind tried.

 _He is also my crush._ She argued.

Annabeth knew it was Percy's duties that kept him away for the week. That also made her worry about their future. They were friends and she didn't want to lose that no matter what all got thrown into their life.

_No matter what._

_I just hope he feels the same._

Two days ago, they had unintentionally bumped into each other in the corridor next to his room. Annabeth had been so busy trying to run away from Tyson that it never crossed her mind that they had entered Percy's side of the castle.

_She tripped from the sudden collision and Percy instinctively wrapped one hand around her waist which made her pin herself to his chest._

_"Wise girl?"_

_Annabeth was flustered for one moment and Tyson happened to grab her just then. "Hey hey! You lose! Your turn now!!_ _Byeeeeeee_ _" He shouted as he ran away._

_"_ _P-Percy_ _..hey"._

_Percy scratched the back of his neck._ Gosh why was this so awkward?

_"Hey... wassup?" He removed his hand from where it was and awkwardly put it next to the wall._

_Annabeth smacked his shoulder trying to look confident but it came out shy. She needed some distance between them NOW. This was too awkward._

_"Having the time of my life being chased by your brother" she said sarcastically._

_Percy laughed and just like that they were back to normal. They walked towards his room talking about random things and forgot all about Tyson._ _Just before Percy entered his room, he turned around to her. "Hey Annabeth... about the Selection... Would you maybe..."_

_"What is it Percy?"_

_Percy took a deep breath before replying. "I would like it if you were there. Just be there as one of the helpers please. You don't have to do anything. If you would like it, I could ask a few more maids to dress up and have you all standing behind us just for a show."_

_Annabeth blinked not because she didn't want to be there but because she_ really _didn't want the press scrutinizing a sudden change in routine._

_"Percy I'd rather dress as a maid and stand than attract unnecessary attention to me."_

_Percy nodded, not really caring what she chose to be but rather just needing a friend beside. "Is that a yes?"_

_She nodded_ _._

When Annabeth focused back to the present, the king had finished picking from three more polls (one 5, one 7 and one 8). Then Paul's mother's brother Edward did his picks. He picked two from 6 and one each from 3,4 and 8. Cheers erupt when Clarrise la Rue got picked, well known for her athletic abilities.

_She felt her heart break another time._

Paul's mother Miranda picked Piper Mclean from 3 and when her picture appeared on screen, Annabeth was taken back. Unlike any other girl, she looked simply beautiful. There was no makeup on her face whatsoever. Her hair appeared as if she had chopped it off herself but she looked so friendly on the exterior. Her eyes seemed to change colour.

_Another time._

_That is not at all logical, Annabeth._

Then, another picture of the same girl came up and she looked gorgeous. This one had her hair braided beautifully in gold thread. She was in a white dress with a deep v neck. She looked uncomfortable in it though. Annabeth catched Percy looking at the screen too.

But, Annabeth didn't really look close enough at every photo because of her zone out so she wasn't sure if this one looks too different from the last 10 beautiful girls who were selected or if Percy was looking at her in any genuine interest -or- if that's the look he gave for all of them.

Soon, the elder royals finish their picks and it was the Prince's turn.

Percy stopped abruptly for a second when his eyes landed on Annabeth. Their eyes locked and she smiled at him. It felt like she was assuring him but Percy's cheeks felt hot. Annabeth looked like a goddess in that dress and he wasn't sure if the moment was appropriate or not - considering he was standing in front of so many cameras and picking girls from the pools for the Selection. He didn't want the whole world - or the kingdom - to know about his crush/friend who stood right next to him. As fast as he lost his composure he gained it back, praying the press didn't notice.

_I wonder what she thinks when she looks at me._

Percy made it easy for her though. He didn't even spare a glance at her again. He wordlessly picked from 2s and a girl named Zoe Nightshade appeared on the screen. He gave a neutral look to the screen before going to the 3s lot. He then picked another paper and read out the name on it. It felt like a routine.

 _I_ _wonder if the camera can tell I'm blushing._ _(_ Thinks Annabeth)

A girl named Calypso came on screen and Annabeth suddenly felt self conscious. Of course she had felt insecure since the start of the ceremony but she was sure this girl was the most beautiful of them all. There was only one way to describe her - pure. If anyone had thought Piper looked like a goddess in her dress, this girl _was_ a goddess _naturally._ Annabeth noticed Percy looking at the screen with interest too.

_Is he blushing?_

_Even Percy who doesn't usually look at girls thinks she is pretty._

_Gosh Annabeth don't be so petty. He is your best friend. Let him choose his life._

_You are_ _F-R-I-E-N-D-S_ _. If you couldn't change that fact in years, how can you now?_

_He needs you here. This is about him, not you._

_Then why did your heart break three times already?_

Percy, on the other hand, was trying to battle his instincts and _NOT_ look at Annabeth. A beautiful girl appeared on the screen for his third pick too and that's all he could really tell about any of them beautiful, beautiful, beautiful... He didn't even know _what_ he looked for.

 _All he knew was that he_ _was_ _blushing ever since his heart skipped a beat when he saw Annabeth_ _Chase._

_____________

Annabeth stood stunned as she looked at Estelle and then the camera.

Estelle was the last to select as she was the youngest. Therefore her polls were already decided. She put her entire head in to draw out the first card, hit her head while coming up and squirmed in the hands of the maid who was holding her by the waist.

Annabeth absentmindedly reached out to put her hand on top of Estelle's head to soothe her but she didn't want excess attention to herself and the maid had started doing it anyway. Then, suddenly Estelle turned towards Annabeth, "pick for me" she said innocently.

Annabeth wasn't sure if it was just her or if the royal families attention did indeed turn to her. Her fears were confirmed when she found Percy staring at her.

"... Your highness?" Annabeth said not knowing what to do.

_Royals were supposed to pick The Selected traditionally. To do anything else would be to disrespect_ _them_ _._

"I can't reach... I hit my head.. pick for me please."

Annabeth didn't know what to do.

"Okay sweetie, how about you tell which one you want to pick to your helper and she would do it for you?" Said the King.

"No." Estelle whined. "I want her to pick for me."

"Why?" Prince Tyson asked, almost as innocently as Princess Estelle. Annabeth was sure he was trying his level best to not smirk though.

"Because she is the best!" Said Estelle.

At this, point Percy's expression got funny. Queen Sally was smiling all throughout the process and if Annabeth wasn't wrong, she took a quick glance at Percy and her smile seemed to get more genuine.

The King was at a loss of words but Percy, in his embarrassment, stepped out of the circle and walked steadily towards the 4s poll.

He gestured for the maid to give Estelle to her and the maid set Princess Estelle on her feet, close to the Prince. Percy swiftly picked her up and walked towards the next poll. Annabeth was right on his heels. If anyone had ever asked Annabeth to bow to Percy even as a gesture to her Prince, she wouldn't have done it but standing so close to Percy in his perfect suit, carrying his sister with a flushed cheek and a small smile on his face....

 _Oh if I look now I can't look away._ She reminded herself.

"Baby, can you show me which paper you want me to pick and I can pick it for you? Can you do that for me?" He asked sweetly.

Annabeth felt her cheeks heat up. He was using his baby voice and it was cute. _Too cute._

Percy then stood next to the poll. He looked back to his family. "Is that alright dad?"

The King nodded.

"But..but... I don't un.. i don't unstand" said Estelle, pronouncing understand wrongly.

"What do you not understand baby?" Percy asked.

"Why can't she pick?"

Percy stole a quick glance at Annabeth, "But, she is holding the tray with both her hands isn't she? How can she pick for the baby... hmm?" He reasoned out, now really turning her towards Annabeth.

Annabeth bravely stole a glance. _Kill me now_.

"Um... Umm..... She can't.." Princess Estelle pouted.

"Hmm.. then can you look inside and tell me which one I should pick?" He sweetly asked again.

"That one" she said as soon as Percy lifted her up to the box level, too soon for Percy to see it. She then brought her hand to her mouth and chewed slowly on her knuckles.

Percy reached in though, already used to her games by now. "This one?"

"No.. hehe hehehe." she started to giggle.

Percy mock smiled at her and tried again. "This one?"

She just giggled, her face completely turned to Percy, not even looking at the box. She gasped, chewed her knuckles again, giggled and said "Nooooo."

Percy took his hand out of the poll and mock stared at her. "Babyyy..." He said in mock anger.

_Can somebody please tell Percy to stop saying baby?_

_That too this sweetly._

Estelle formed a O with her mouth before, "that one!" She said it so quickly there was no way Percy could have seen in time.

"Can you tell me again, sweetheart?"

"Thisssss one"

Percy finally pulled out one and Estelle nodded. He opened the card to read but Estelle squirmed in his hands again.

"Lemme read lemme read" she said. Percy let her open the card and waited patiently for her to read.

"Ca... Ka... Catty Garden" she said confidently. Percy snickered before he reading the paper himself. "Katie Gardner" he corrected. Then he put the name into the jar that Annabeth held out for them.

Fifteen minutes, two and a half more more struggles, and twenty _"_ _babyy_ _"_ s later, Percy picked up the last card as per Estelle's direction. By this time Percy had Estelle's back firmly pressed to his left chest and shoulders to allow them both to see the box at the same time and hence reduce Estelle's mischief. Before Percy could put the card on the jar however, Estelle took it from his hand and jumped on Annabeth to give her the card.

The motion dragged Percy and Annabeth unnecessarily close because Annabeth reached out to catch Estelle out of habit before recomposing herself and the jar. Percy cleared his throat.

"I wanna do that again!! " She shouted before jumping again but Percy had a tight hold on her this time. He laughed and walked back towards the royal family.

Annabeth followed him but stood short of the royal circle.

As she looked at them and the guards, she wondered if she could ever outlive this embarrassment. The guards who for a fact were actually Jason, Leo, Beckendorf and the Stolls openly showed their amusement. Tyson laughed too. The King looked amused. King's mother and her brother shortly snickered like this was an everyday event.

And oh.. Queen Sally looked over the moon. When Annabeth gained enough courage to look at her, Sally _winked_ at her and she went red all over again.

_It was over now though._

_She wasn't in the Selected._

_Maybe it wasn't meant to be._

....

After The Selected are all announced one more time, the press questioned each member of the royal family and Annabeth felt like she got her revenge for all that embarrassment when she saw Percy very uncomfortably answering questions like "Which one appeals to you Prince?" , "Any first minute crushes?".

The Selected had to arrive one by one but Percy or any royal weren't going to meet them for another week.

It was one of those traditions again, Prince was supposed to meet them all _at once_ during their first breakfast as the Prince and the Selected.

On Wednesday night with selection starting on Friday morning; Percy, Grover, Tyson, Jason, Malcom, Beckendorf, Silena, Hazel, Leo, and Will all sat on huge diner originally arranged for the selected and the royal family. That is when someone knocked on the door.

Annabeth wasn't with them yet and Percy wondered why.

See... something like this couldn't be done regularly. It was a feat breaking the rules by letting Annabeth, Grover, Malcom and Jason sit with the royal family during some meals. _Actually_ letting the Prince have soft drinks seated as equals with a few 4s and 5s?Forget it. While it was easy to get permission from the royal family, it was a real feat to keep guards, maids and guests away. (Oh, now the selected too)

Jason still didn't understand how they got through Paul's mom Miranda for this. Grover shouted something about testing seats before he ran towards the diner gates and Hazel called in on a race. Percy just shrugged at his grandmother and ran while Jason was the one who stayed back to ask if it was alright.

Tyson hurried to open the door and let the guard inside who looked a little taken back at seeing a Prince open and hold the door for him.

Jason was sure the guard was going to curse at Percy for sitting on the King's seat if the King himself hadn't come inside just after, seemingly not minding Percy's actions. Percy rubbed his neck and slid to the next seat as his parents occupied their respective seats.

"Your highness, we have an issue at hand. Could you please request all your acquaintances to wait outside" A guard asked.

Before Percy got a chance to reply, Sally budged in saying, "Mischelle Andrews, a three from whites, hasn't arrived yet."

Everyone except Percy looked around to silently excuse themselves.

"Nonsense. You guys can stay. Percy would just tell you everything right away anyway." She turned to Tyson "Tyson dear, could you please go to your room and tuck Estelle to sleep?"

"Huh what? I want to stay too!"

"Yes honey but she especially asked for her brother. We will tell everything once things are confirmed okay?"

Tyson grumpily nodded and went out.

"I don't see the problem mom. The Selection doesn't start till Friday." Percy reasoned.

"Yes highness, it doesn't but we were shocked when we contacted her parents and they said that she had left to the palace the day after the pools," a guard said. 

Another one chirruped in, "We investigated the matter and found out that she had ran away with a lover, a man named Harry and that she only participated in The Selection due to pressure from her parents."

"But isn't consent asked personally?" Leo interrupted.

"Yes and she admitted to the lie. It is not just that..." The guard seemed to hesitate looking at Percy's friends.

"Go on. It is alright. They are all green." says Percy.

A few of the friends looked around in confusion but no one asked anything.

"Your highness... I don't mean to be rude but... only three here green." the guard hanged his head down in an unsaid apology.

"It is alright Ethan, tell us." Jason said, having authority as head guard.

"She.. she isn't a virgin."

Percy frowned. He turned to Paul. "Seriously?... I thought we agreed on not doing this part. I told you it doesn't seem fair."

_Quite a few eyebrows go up at his honesty._

"I'm sorry Percy, the council is very hard to budge, traditions and all." he replies.

"That means she clearly broke two signed rules. She also committed treason by seeing another man in the duration of the Selection," the guard said. "We have arranged an emergency _Report_ for her trial tomorrow but as all offenses are directly committed against you, the council insists on your verdict."

Percy sighed. _What wrong has she done really?_

_I_ _haven't even met the girl yet._

"That is only half of the problem your highness. Traditionally, we always go with 35 Selected. This has been the case for every nearby Kingdom too."

"Can't we select another from the polls?" Will asked.

Percy shook his head. "The polls are destroyed two days after confirmation from the families. Data security issues. That means they were destroyed on Monday."

"It would take forever to scrutinize or even find all the lost names. The foreign arrivals for the Olympics are also in a few months. If we deny the Selection now, we might as well have to postpone it after them. Too many guests. The Selection is precisely planned now for you to at least bring the Selected to the top 10 before all the foreigners arrive." the King said.

Selena rose one hand up. Queen Sally looked at her skeptically before understanding her request. "Speak freely. All of you."

"Your majesty, Kingdom Iíléa held its Royal Selection almost 10 years ago and my cousin is friends with one of its Rejected. We never knew exactly why but two Selected were replaced with girls from the palace after the Selection started. It was released to public but soon the attention died because of the eliminations."

"It would be easier to scrutinize the palace girls and pick one too," Beckendorf added.

Leo clapped his hands in mock excitement and everyone ignored him.

"Most of the palace girls are 2s though, at least the poise ones. Guards have 3s and 4s but they're all male. Maids are mostly 4s, maybe 5s, threes are really few... most of the 3s are older maids. It would look unfair to replace a three with a two." Hazel pointed out.

"Guys..." Said Leo.

Percy tried to remember the last Lady he met who wasn't a 2 and tried to remember if there are any girls he knew among the guards.

"GUYS!! Come on!! Not all of you can be idiots at once!" Leo addressed the table.

Everyone looked at Leo like he grew a head before. "Oh I'm so so sorry your highness... No wait highnesses?.. I meant only these doofus-es oh and Percy too. See Percy is a royal idiot... Shit... I messed up again. Percy please don't demote me from green!"

"Calm down Leo, we'll pretend we never heard it. Tell us your point," the King said.

Leo shut up and looked around at everyone in the room. "Wait are you telling me you still haven't figured _this?_ How disappointing!"

...........

Annabeth arrived at the dinner doors in time to hear Leo say "We have to find someone who is a girl.... AND a three...."

She heard someone (Jason) probably pushing him down to sit on his chair while everyone went, "Who is the doofus here?", "Yeah Repair boy, WE - GET - THAT - MUCH", "Just shut up will you?"

Annabeth laughed and figured they are playing a cheating game of "Guess the word" again. She pushed open the diner doors and went in. "Woah" her smile went wide when she saw her friends, "too much noise for a game isn't it?"

She saw the King and the Queen and wondered what all she _really_ missed. "And yes Percy you really are a seaweed brain."

Percy looked frozen and Leo was stunned. Everyone else looked like they just forgot something obvious. Then suddenly Leo jumped up and walked towards Annabeth.

"Someone dare to tell me this isn't fate?" He asked.

"Annabeth does fit into the résumé," said Grover, smirking.

"Too perfectly," Jason said, now smirking too.

Leo was too excited. He took one of Annabeth's hands and shook it aggressively. "Congratulations Annabeth, Welcome to The Selected"

_Huh?_

She looked at Percy who was avoiding her.

_What the_ _hades_ _?_

___________________________________________________________________________________________

**Thank you everyone for reading the story. Healthy criticism welcome. I want to improve.**

**Stay safe guys.**


	2. "Because we're best friends, any more stupid questions?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo ANNABETH is in the Selected now!! 
> 
> What do you think awaits her?
> 
> More importantly, what awaits Percy?

**“Look at someone every day for long enough and you stop seeing what everyone else sees. You start to see what no one else sees, what is kept hidden from most people.”**   
**― Melanie Goldin**

** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **

Next morning Prince Percy and Mr. Kim discuss about Percy's decision regarding Mischelle minutes before the report starts.

"How do you think people would react if I punished her with treason then?"

Mr Kim is suddenly quiet.

"Exactly. And I don't want to be remembered like that."

Annabeth comes in just then. She is wearing her regular cloths - an orange tee and a knee length jeans. "Hey Percy, Good morning Mr Kim"

"Good morning Annabeth or should I say Lady Annabeth now?"

Annabeth pales a little and looks at Percy "I thought it wasn't going to come out till tonight"

"Oh it wasn't. At least not untill Jason found it very appropriate teasing me in front of the press" he says, gesturing to Mr. Kim.

"Don't worry Annabeth. No one but me knows. We are not realising the info yet" Mr.Kim defends. "On a more important note, it would be very convenient if you could convince the Prince to not drop all charges"

"You're dropping all charges?"

"Oh not you too Annabeth. She hasn't done anything wrong -" Annabeth raises an eyebrow "--what? Okay well, not YET at least. The Selection officially starts tomorrow so I can rule off treason. She only lied because her parents forced her to and well, we all agreed to keep virtues out of statement."

A fat tall figure approaches them then. His eyes are tiny and is at least twice as heavy as Mr Kim (who is pretty fat for a 60 year old) but he looks as young as Percy. Mr. Kim introduces him.

"This is Mr. Choi . Choi you already know Prince Percy. This is Lady Annabeth Chase. Choi will be my plus one for the interview. He is the new trainee I was telling you about" Percy glares at Mr. Kim.

Choi bows 90° for the Prince before saying "Lady Chase? I _thought_ the Prince wasn't supposed to meet the Selected untill tomorrow...?"

Annabeth says "Yes, he shouldn't. I am just a friend"

 _Smooth_ _. Phew!_

A lady assistant calls over " _Report_ in five minutes. Everyone in position. Please bring the offender out. Anyone who isn't in the script please go backstage. I repeat. _Report_ in five min...."

"Alright Percy, just don't try to be a good guy all the time. I'm heading back okay? All the best." Says Annabeth. Percy nods and she quickly squeezes one of his shoulders before leaving.

........

By the time Annabeth comes to the main hall to watch the news, at least 50 maids have abandoned duties and sat down on the big hall even if they could have gathered up chairs if they wished to. Annabeth silently sits down with a line thinking her clothes are blending enough. Hazel notices her from a few rows back and waves.

Immediately the maid next to Annabeth recognises her. "Oh Annabeth... We didn't know you were going to be here. Should I bring over a seat?" her voice too sweet for it to be kind.

"Huh? What? No no... please, I'm not a royal. But can you please tell me what I missed?"

"They just finished telling the story and let the girl tell her side too. Prince should made his case now" she replies.

The _Report'_ s location has changed. While The Selection happened right in front of the royal palace in the royal garden, this report is conducted inside a auditorium where The Selected are supposed to have their reports every once in two weeks. The judge panel has occupied the seats of Selected this time.

Percy seems conflicted but his speech is flawless and harsh.

"Mischelle do you understand the consequences of your action?" Mischelle nods. "Were you aware of this at the time we picked our name out of the poll?" She nods again.

Percy sighs before continuing. "Then _why_ did you fail to give notice to the officials by last Sunday?" She hangs her head down in shame and her lover Harry tightens his jaw.

His tone is suddenly too harsh. "You should understand that your actions not only fall under misinformation to the authorities and borderline treason but they have also disrupted the peaceful ongoing of Selection. This year we may have to break a tradition and go on with only 34 participants"

_Annabeth isn't sure why she suddenly feels disappointed._

_Does Percy really not want her to be a part of it? Did he really think it was such a big inconvenience even though it allowed her to be a part of it?_

Mischelle looks like she wants to cry. Percy continues "Look, I'm not charging you for treason only because The Selection hasn't started yet. If the authorities found this a few days later, you could have had serious consequences. But you will get charges against misinformation which is a week of services. Since you have disrupted Selection too, I am willing to let you go with three weeks of services. Any arguments?"

The couple looks up to Percy, unable to believe his choice and her defendant says "All charges accepted". 

"Mischelle, you understand this is disappointing right? Not only did you lie once but you also continued lying. You shouldn't have consented in the first place but you could have at least set things better if you had spoke up after we called out your name. I expect better bravery from my citizens."

_Annabeth is proud Percy handled things well._

...........

Percy feels drained by the time Mr. Kim go over all his statements and explain the services. As soon as the lights are out all he wants to do is ask his dad if he _really_ did the right thing.

However he is interrupted by Mischelle and Harry before he gets up. "I'm really sorry Prince. I should have taken more responsibility"

"I'm sorry too. I had to be harsh" he confesses.

They look really surprised. "I don't understand something"

"Hmm.."

"There were two misinformation charges" says Harry. Percy wonders why he even brings it up. He wonders if he thinks Percy would find it right to put Mischelle out of Selection for it. What kind of image do they have of him?

Percy gets up."You really thought I was going to give press such an info?" he asks Harry who looks taken back.

"I know I said three weeks but you would actually be doing four for me, understood? I don't care what the papers say" He looks at their defendant as if trying to challenge him.

"Yes majesty, we understand."

Percy sees his parents approach him. "Okay. Dismissed"

Sally hugs Percy. "You did well Percy."

He looks at his dad. "I approve. You sounded exactly how a Prince should" Paul says and Percy tells himself that it was all worth it.

Paul says "You just have to be present tonight. I will take care of the announcement. Grandma agrees too and you know how she is about traditions. We should ask Annabeth to stay out of it for a while. Let us just give press some pictures okay?"

Percy nods. "Thank you dad"

"Percy... Are you really okay with Annabeth being a part of this?"

Sally says "Son we know you have a sweet side for her. The Selection can disturb your relationship"

"Yes I am. Besides, she is good inside info"

 _Is that all?_ His mind asks.

Paul rises an eyebrow and smirks a little "Oh I don't know how she can give info for herself Percy."

Percy tries to lessen his embarrassment. "Stop. Everybody thinks I'm in love with her now that she is Selected"

"Oh I'm sure many thought so before too"

"Mom!!"

"Okay okay. Just talk it out with her too alright?"

..........

An hour after the surprise _Report_ ends and Annabeth has been revealed as the 35th contestant, Percy, still in formal wear as he walks through his palace, anxious to find Annabeth.

Annabeth is probably sitting in her room, drained, after going through miles and miles of paperwork in the Architecture department. Their head of department, Annabeth's role model and a council member - Athena - was surveying a major bridge collapse halfway across the kingdom leaving Annabeth and her brother Malcom to take care of most work.

_What will she say?_

_How did I not think if she would be comfortable or not?_

_Yeah Percy, you assumed she is because YOU are too comfortable with it._

_Gosh I should have just barged in the Architecture department. Now I never asked her at all._

Percy knocks on Annabeth's door. He hears her shuffling things around before -- "Malcom I swear I can't do another bunch. You can't just ask me to do everyth-- oh Percy"

Percy comes in with a small smile. "Long day?" He says.

"Probably not as long as yours"

"Hmm... Not sure about that. Five council members aren't present so we can't have any meetings now. No meetings is basically my idea of a free day" he sits on Annabeth's table, glancing at all the papers.

Annabeth's room is one-fourth the size of Percy's but that is still big enough to squeeze a decent bed, a big bookshelf covering one whole wall, two working tables, few windows and a cushion. Her room is in the 3rd floor, same as the royal family but it was originally done so because of its closeness to the royal library.

Annabeth sits down on the bed. "Wait so... the decision about me... Wasn't it cleared with the council?"

"The rest of the council cleared it"

She nods.

_Percy doesn't know why the words aren't coming out of his mouth._

_Just ask her._

They lock eyes. "Aroookayithit?"

"Huh? Yeah, I am"

"Really?"

"Yes Percy"

"We are fine right? Everything alright?" Percy sure asks the question but he doesn't know what answer he expects. What answer he _wants._

"Of course, why not?"

"I mean... I don't know... Would.... No. Wait. How?"

"Because we are friends. Any more stupid questions?"

 _Percyyyy_ _. Shut up._

"Besides... you would also have some inside info" she says. "About The Selection, you gave them pictures, right?"

Percy nods and digs into his front jeans pocket. He sits in her bed too and gives her the photos. "Sorry we didn't have enough time to take better ones"

The photo Percy gives her is about 8 months old, taken during Percy's coronation when he had just turned 22. Annabeth was wearing a baby blue gown complete with dark blue earrings, blue necklace and a thin plastic blue play princess crown.

Annabeth couldn't help but laugh at the photo. "You picked this one didn't you? It is too blue!!"

 _Annabeth_ _liked it though. How many people get to give a picture picked by the Prince himself for his own Selection?_

He scratched his neck as he leaned down to look at the photo again. "They wanted you in a dress. If it were upto me, I would just ask you stand near a plain wall and take a picture right now"

"Why? So they would vote me out of competition right away?"

_Would they?_

"Yeah. Sure. Then they would tell everything to you and you can help me find who all wants just the crown" Percy laughs.

Annabeth is serious though. "Even those who come for the crown would like you Percy. There is nothing to not like about you"

_Heartbeat._

_Wow did Annabeth Chase just tell that about me?_

"There isn't?"

If Percy were narrating this tale now is when he would suddenly interrupt to tell Annabeth is sitting right next to him. Percy suddenly finds it hard to concentrate.

_Annabeth is sitting right next to him._

"Mmm..hmm.."

Percy looks to the front. "I don't think they would dismiss you though. You are the biggest competition now"

_Heartbeat._

Annabeth wants to say something intelligent like 'yes no one knows you any better than me' but it comes out as "uoh"

Percy looks at Annabeth and chuckles. If Percy wasn't so nervous, she would have seen that Annabeth was nervous too.

"Don't tell them things I won't tell them" he says.

"You are a blabber mouth, Percy"

Percy laughs again.

"By the way, my team won capture the flag.", she smiles.

"Ookay... So?"

"Your royal crown"

"Hey! You can't bet my crown when I am not there in the game!",he defends.

"Hmm... Tell that to Jason", she goes to her drawer and pulls out his crown. "I wonder how much value this thing really has though, considering the Prince's friends wear it more often than he does himself"

Percy rolls his eyes. "How did you get that?"

"You forget who your room guards are", she gives the crown to Percy.

"I have to wear this tomorrow. First time seeing the Selected and all."

"It is alright. I've been wearing it all day anyway. But you know the rules. Crown me"

_Percy has done this hundreds of times before but he finds himself blushing. His crown on Annabeth always had an effect on him._

_He doesn't know why._

Percy stands up from the bed and Annabeth kneels in font of him in a proposal position. She looks up and smiles.

"Oh you are loving this, aren't you?"

"I always do, Percy"

He says the last line of a Princess coronation and crowns her. She gets up, satisfied.

Annabeth looks like she always does. She is wearing the same orange tee and a shorts this time but she's smiling, they're laughing. And... she is wearing _his_ royal crown.

_Percy suddenly finds it hard to look away._

He doesn't think twice before kissing her on the forehead.

Annabeth beams.

That's when he realises. They're okay.

Everything is okay.

Percy thinks that if they stick together through this and they are still friends after everything, then he must have done something really good in his life to deserve it.

"Goodnight Lady Annabeth"

Annabeth is still smiling. "Goodnight Prince Percy"

....................

Annabeth shifts to the rooms of the Selected in the second floor next morning. Her room number is marked 23 meaning Mischelle was the 23rd person to be selected out of 35 that day. As soon as she goes in, she is greeted by two maids she hasn't seen before.

"Good morning Lady Annabeth. I'm Julia" says the taller one who has dyed her hair violet. She bows deep and Annabeth suddenly feels out of scenery.

"Please don't bow for me."

"I'm Crystal" says the smaller one. She has a round face and looks asian. Then she bows.

_Okay, I'll humour you too._

Annabeth bows lower than either of them did and says "I'm Annabeth."

Both girls let out a small squeak at her gesture but decide to keep quiet. Just then an elder woman knocks on the open door and Annabeth looks back to find a woman in formal wear looking at her. Everything about her screams work so much that she reminds Annabeth of Athena.

Annabeth decides one more person needs a joke so she bows down for another introduction.

She simply nods her head and says "Looks like I can throw off that lesson from my plate then. Morning Lady Annabeth, I'm Willow. I'm your guide during The Selection and you will treat me like you should treat the prince for the time being irrespective of your caste. Only by practice, you can be perfect. Remember that my input would directly go to the Queen and you don't want a wrong impression on her."

Annabeth blinks before she laughs and Miss. Willow glares at her. "A lady doesn't laugh like that and definitely doesn't act so disrespectfully! And here I thought living in the palace would have done you some good" she says.

Annabeth pouts and miss Willow looks like she is going into another fit. "Okay okay I'm sorry miss Willow. I will treat you like a Lady treats a Prince but please.." she tries to control a laughter "... please I don't think I can treat Percy like that. I'm sorry."

"How disrespectful lady! You DO NOT call the Prince by his first name, understood? No. I forbid it. Not unless the Prince personally tells me that he gave you permission"

Annabeth is taken back but she nods her head.

_Oh the things she agrees to for Percy._

"Alright then first things first. You may choose a dress from the wardrobe provided. You can also request dresses one week before to have them done on time. You have missed several instructions because you have been added last minute so let us go on a need to know basis for today...."

_Not sure I care much about dresses but okay._

"....Firstly, you are late. You should be up by at least 6 for us to prepare you by 8 30 everyday. ..."

_6?? What?_

_" All_ Selected must assemble _before_ the royal family does at breakfast. There is a common room alloted for Selection and you either spend time there or here in this room...."

_Gee, more time with the girls. Just what I wanted isn't it?_

_"..._ You will not go to the 3rd floor for whatever reason you have in your head unless you have an invite. Am I clear?"

_Not even the library?_

"No. Not even the library."

_Oh gods did I say these out loud?_

"Yes, yes you did. Now since we have only 45 minutes, there isn't much time for a makeover. Wash your hair, blow dry it and put on a dress. I'm expecting you down in... 44 minutes. Congratulations on your Selection" She spoke all of that like a robot. (after having said it 34 times probably)

As soon as miss Willow goes out. Julia pushes Annabeth into the bathroom and strips her to her under garments. Annabeth should be embarrassed but she figures this is just their duty.

"What flavor shampoo would you like?"asks Crystal.

"Lemon please"

"Uh.. not sure we have a lemon.... There is one flavoured citrus though." Says Julia.

"Okay then"

"All the other girls have customized their first dress for giving a good first impression. Everybody is on and on about giving Royals a good impression"

"It won't be first impression for me anyways. Don't sweat it"

"Have you met the Prince before?"asks Crystal.

"I'm one of his best friends"

"Wooah... What is he like?"

"Huh? What is Percy like? He is a... doofus, a seaweed brain, an idiot. But he is also... loyal, easy to like and fun. You just need to get past "I'm the Prince" arrogance of him."

"You're talking like you actually know him", she mutters but Annabeth catches it.

"That's because I do"

Julia then quickly gives her a hairbath and blow dries her hair.

"I'm not sure if these dresses would even fit you Lady Annabeth. I'm sorry, we'll do better next time"

"Actually... Didn't you mention something about girls giving Percy a first impression?"

"Yes I'm so sorry we couldn't..."

"Stop saying sorry. How is humour for a first impression?"

Julia stares at her as if she just started speaking greek.

.......

Percy is unnecessarily nervous. He is about to enter a room of 35 girls, 34 of whom he has never met and 34 he has to reject.

_34 hearts to break._

_Don't think like that._

_On another hand, he_ _wondered why Hazel was so particular about his dress and now he thinks he gets it. Don't start off too strong._

As he opened the doors to the dining room however, he got the _real reason why_ Hazel insisted on the suit. He is met with all the girls standing in a circular formation around the table. They all bow to him and it isn't too long before he finds Annabeth.

_Oh._

Annabeth is wearing a light blue gown but... Wait.. she isn't **just** wearing ' **a** ' light blue gown, she is wearing **'the'** light blue gown from the photo released to the press just yesterday.

_And Percy is wearing a matching light blue suit handpicked by Hazel this morning because she thought he shouldn't "get started too strong"._

_Hazel isn't getting away with this._

Annabeth also seems to come to this realisation and her smile threatens transform into a laugh.

"Good morning ladies. Would you all please take your respective seats for today. Any preferences can be tried out later" Percy says, trying to sound stern.

_He is so happy Annabeth somehow wordlessly morphed his stress into amusement._

_Maybe Hazel is getting away with this._

Percy wordlessly goes to the front, avoiding all curious glances to him and Annabeth.

 _T_ _he colour matching was too perfect._

He sits down and all ladies follow but no one dares to pick up their cutlery. All the food is set and everything is ready but it is considered polite to let the royals start first. The gang (Percy, Annabeth, Malcom, Grover and Jason) usually followed it only when people other than Paul and Sally were around but Annabeth guessed it was probably one of the rules she missed.

"Everyone can start eating. Sorry,my dad is running late today" he says but no one even puts their hands on the table.

He scrutinises the crowd and lifts one eyebrow. When no one gives up, he sighs.

"Okay then... How about we all play a silly game till then? Hello I'm Percy and my hobby is swimming. How about I call out a number from 1-35 and the person tells their name and hobby, calls out a number and so on?"

No one moves a muscle and Annabeth sighs. Percy says "Let us start with my birthday. Who is 18?"

The girl sitting across Annabeth lifts her hand. "Good morning everyone. I'm Cassy and I like to sing".

Percy smiles at the girl, who blushes. "I like your confidence. Now tell a number"

"16"

"I'm Drew and I am a model so I like to take pictures" the girl was wearing a turtleneck bright read dress with red lipstick and it was starting to hurt to look at her. "22"

The girl next to Annabeth starts speaking and Annabeth realises that this is the one who naturally looked like a goddess. Today she was wearing a dress full of white feathers and she really looks soft on top of her own natural softness. She practically had no makeup on and Annabeth felt like giving her a hifi.

_She tried not to look too bothered by how Percy was staring at her._

"Hi, I'm Calypso and I like to garden"

You would have thought a girl like that would be shy. No, she was looking right back at Percy while speaking. Then she suddenly turned around, put one hand on Annabeth's thighs, smiled, squeezed a little and said "23".

Even before Annabeth opened her mouth to speak Percy spoke up. "Just the number for you" Percy was smirking, almost like he was challenging Annabeth to tell off the Prince in front of the Selected.

_Oh you're on._

Annabeth too looks right into Percy and says "Cheat."

A few Selected look her way.

Percy replies with an amused "Oh and you're not?" while he leans forward, subtly touching his coat garment right next to his left wrist with the other hand.

"You are accusing the wrong person. Hi I'm Annabeth chase and I like to read in the library." Percy tries to contain a smile. "One"

The redhead closest to Percy answers. "I'm Rachel Dare and I like to paint. Mostly nature"

"Woah.. like canvas?" Asks Percy.

She nods, looking at Percy.

"Show me sometime"

She gives a small smile. Probably shy from all the eyes on her.

Just then Percy's parents arrive with Tyson and Estelle. Percy gets up and all the Selected follow. Tyson is wearing another blue suit but darker, like the usual ones he wears. The King is in his royal emblem and so is the Queen. Estelle is wearing a baby pink dress surprisingly having similar style and design as Annabeth's blue dress.

Percy really chuckles this time but goes on to greet his dad. "What took you so long dad?"

"Estelle wanted snack story time. Besides, I think you've kept everyone here occupied. Please.. all of you sit down and continue your breakfast."

Percy looked at his father face little guilty. "They all refused to eat without you"

Paul momentarily glanced at Annabeth and Percy glared at him.

" _All of them? -"_ Annabeth hung her head down "--I'm sorry girls I should have sent in a note"

_First the Prince now the King._

_This is going to be interesting._

No more time was wasted and they all started eating.

.....

Percy picked up small conversations with his father about on going politics untill Sally decided to cut him in-between.

"Is Annabeth wearing the same dress as the one you gave to the press?"

Percy sighed. "Yes"

Paul stares at Percy. "Why?"

"She's wearing the dress the Prince got for her on his coronation as the first dress to his Selection" he chuckled.

_Could I really blame her though? How many people can say that?_

Paul went "Ah.." and Sally looked teasingly at Percy.

"Not a minute into it and she is already playing games" He smiling, firmly looking at Annabeth who is trying to make small talk with the one next to her.

"And you?" asks Paul gesturing to how he was matching her.

"I merely accepted it when Hazel told me to not start off too strong!!"

Paul and Sally chuckle.

Estelle starts walking around, not hungry after snacks. The entire royal family, some Selected and guards were watching her antics as her went around found every girl with a light dress or a pink dress and said "we match".

Then suddenly she went from saying 'we match' to 'you match' when she found two girls wearing the same colour right next to each other. She went a few more rounds before trying to sit on Calypso who was eating. Percy tried telling her that it was rude to interrupt someone eating like that but Calypso just shrugged his word off and pulled Estelle on her lap.

Estelle went on to stand on her lap put one finger on her face and another around the room, point out every girl with white dresses or white decorations and said "you match", "you match". Calypso giggled at her antics and stopped eating to hold her with both hands.

Then Estelle saw Annabeth next to Calypso, said "Bethh", jumped out of her hold and into Annabeth's. Her plate almost fell and she pushed it inwards as she wrapped one whole arm around Estelle. Estelle catched Annabeth's right cheek with her hand, stood on her lap and started searching the girls.

No _girls_ had light blue dresses.

She then turned to the royal family and said "she doesn't match" too cutely, making Annabeth giggle too.

Percy looked at her, sighed and went on to take another bite.

She then suddenly jumped on Annabeth's lap and said "NO!! you match!! You match with Percy!" She said as she pointed one finger directly at her brother.

He literally stops _eating_ as he looks up at Annabeth for what he fells is the 10th time that day.

His look translated to _"Thank you so much Estelle....... like people didn't see it already"_

Annabeth just laughed.

Then Sally suddenly said "She does, doesn't she?" to everyone and smirked at Percy.

He would have _whined_ if 34 strangers weren't in the room.

Percy made sure he was glaring at Annabeth when he left the room.

_Maybe it was all in his head but just for a minute, he thought that Annabeth was competing well._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why would he want her to compete if they were just friends ??
> 
> Curious... Curious..


	3. "Do you want me to compete?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome to another chapter for Percabeth. 
> 
> Annabeth knows they're just friends... Then why does it feel different?

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**_““Well, it seems to me that the best relationships - the ones that last - are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is... suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with.”  
― Gillian Anderson_**

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

After breakfast, Percy decided to head over to 2nd floor. The plan was all perfect... in his head. He wanted to surprise few Selected by randomly knocking on their doors. He knew Annabeth was in room 23 now but he decided he was going to see Rachel first.

_I should spend time with people I don't know._

Highly confident, he knocked on room number 1, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to look intimidating.

The girl who opened the door had black hair falling just below her shoulders. She was wearing black jeans, black tops having a gold lightning bolt.

_This isn't Rachel._

"Prince?" She said.

"Oh...um... Is this not Rachel's room?"

"Oh. Ah... No" she sounds confused.

"Okay... Can I come in?" he asks.

She frowns. "Can you?"

They both stare at each other before she says "Alright, come in"

Percy steps into a room with lots of snacks. The girl looks alarmed and pushes an entire row under a table.

"Please pretend you didn't see that. Willow would kill me if she found out I was full on snacks. I'm Thalia"

Percy laughs and seats himself on one of the chairs. "Your secret is safe with me"

Thalia narrows her eyes. "I didn't say you could sit but hey, it is your place so..." and she sits on the other chair.

Percy nods. "I'm sorry about that. I just thought room number one belonged to the one who said her name when An... when 'one' was called out"

His mind points out: _Not even a minute into a conversation and you already mentioned Annabeth._

"You are right. It did but the girls picked their own rooms on a first come first serve basis then some exchanged rooms with others"

"Oh" _Annabeth isn't in 23 then? Bummer._

Thalia laughed. "Is the Prince supposed to be this shy?"

"It is my first time too, you know?"

"Fair enough. What was your plan anyway? Knocking into random doors like that? Just because you're the Prince.."

"Hey! What am I supposed to do? Send letters to each of you? Besides, this way I can see the real you behind all that makeup"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "I doubt that. Many girls here are expecting you to surprise them. They're ready 24/7.... but... You do realise that most girls are down in the common room right? I just couldn't sit in that dress, fake a smile and make small talk anymore"

_Percy thinks he should have paid more attention when he was told to sign the selection forms._

"You have a common room?"

"A common room where no boys are allowed access. What did you expect us to do? Sit in our rooms all day?"

"But... You are allowed access till the second floor and the back gardens too"

Thalia sighed, "We have a common room."

"Alright, so any idea who is where?"

"Rachel?" she asked, almost teasing. "No. No idea"

"Well then, knocking into random doors really became random for me" Percy thinks he starts to feel friendly around her.

Thalia did too. She gestured with her hands as she said "What's the point? Only the maids would open doors for you, that is **if** they are inside. All the girls are in a common room where boys can't go" she shrugged.

"Wait when you said ' _boys_ _'_ can't go.. you mean the Prince too?"

"I mean even the King but I think you can send in messages or something" she lifted an eyebrow. "Weren't you briefed about all this?"

 _I was given forms which I signed blindly because we had a gang dinner._ He decides to not say that.

"Not really. Been busy"

Thalia nods. "Willow may know. She always keeps track of the girls"

_Should he know this Willow? Is it one of the Selected?_

"Who is Willow?"

Thalia stares at Percy "The guide assigned to us for the duration of The Selection? You really don't know anything do you?"

Percy looks around. "I suppose not"

.........

It doesn't take too long to find Miss. Willow. Thalia mentions that she is a middle age woman, always in formal wear, quote "illegally getting into the Selected rooms in search for misconduct."

So when a Percy sees someone matching the discription coming up to the second floor, he expects her to say something to him considering he is the Prince and all. What confuses Percy is when she walks right ahead as if she never saw him.

He calls out "Miss.. Willow?"

The woman turns around with a pressed smile. "Yes your majesty?"

"Ah... You are the guide assigned for the girls, right?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"she frowns.

_She says that as if she expects him to complain about one of the girls._

"Ah, no", he shakes his head as he approaches her, "do you have a list of who is where in this floor?"

"Yes"

"Um... Can you give me a copy?"

"I would have to clear it with the Queen first" she says stern.

"Oookay... Well, are any girls in this floor right now?"

"Yes at least ten aren't in the common room. I will clear your request and bring it to your office"

"Ah, actually could you bring it here? I'd probably talk to a few girls"

_Random strangers._

She nods, still looking stern. Percy feels so much like he is the one interrogated when she looks at him that _he bows his head_ when she does.

Percy gets why she is here. _Royal etiquettes teacher._

 _I wonder what her reaction to Annabeth will be_ _..._

By the time he talks to a few maids who all say that their Lady is downstairs, Percy decides to just wait till Willow comes back. Then, he accidentally stumbles on his own feet and almost breaks the door to room number 22.

To his surprise, Rachel opens the door.

"Oh hey,... uhh... I didn't mean to do that"

_Smooth Percy, smooth._

She raises an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"Um... Can I come in?" he asks, bolder than last time.

"Sure."

He comes in and stares at Rachel. She is wearing a orange tee and a blue pant. The resemblance is uncanny. These are traditional Annabeth cloths.

_Yeah bro, time to stop connecting everything to Annabeth._

"What?" asks Rachel.

"Nothing, coincidence. I went to room number 1 searching for you" he admits.

 _"_ Ah! That's why you played that game. Pretty smooth prince"

Percy scratches his neck.

"So... How do you like the palace?"

"I haven't been around much but it is really big. Pretty impressive too. There are 5 floors I think?"

"Yeah and we have towers too."

"Woo you must have seen some pretty good night skies huh?"

"Yeah the view is great" he says as he sits down on a chair. Rachel sits across from him.

Now that Percy notices, the rooms are exactly same. He wonders why the girls tried to exchange it.

"They're exactly the same. Why did you move?"

"Huh?"

"The rooms. They're the same"

"Oh, I didn't move. My room was occupied when I came. I think i was the third to arrive? Anyways, I just took the one right next to the staircase"

"Ah. Okay"

"What are you doing here?"she asks.

"Surprising you.... Well not necessarily you, I was just gonna knock on doors and see who answers them"

"But you told me you were looking for me in room 1?"

"Oh that... I just thought I'd start with a face I know.." he mumbles.

Rachel smirks. "Oh did you?"

"I meant it when I said I wanted to see those paintings you know?"

..............

After another fifteen minutes with Rachel where he just continued staring at her paintings with a O on his lips, he bid her farewell and went back to the hallway. Miss. Willow was waiting for him at the other end.

"I see you have met Lady Rachel. She is quite charming." she says.

"Yeah, her paintings are pretty good"

Willow hands over two sheets. "That's your request. The Queen also gave you clearance on everything"

"On everything?"

"Any information I know I can tell you if you wish to hear it"

"Really? Mom cleared everything?"

"Prince, it is your Selection" she says bluntly.

"Yeah.. okay what can you tell me about Rachel?"

"She's already a 2 so it isn't hard to teach her royal routines. She has media support. She is beautiful as you've seen already. Her governing skills are yet to be checked but overall a good candidate"

Percy blinks, "Yes... What can you tell me about her?"

"I just did your majesty."

"Nothing about her character? Beyond what you can see on a first go?"

"She doesn't have any bad habits, no addictions whatsoever, she sounds genuine and yeah... this is important, she can be disciplined for a queen"

_Said like a real etiquette teacher._

Just then a girl wearing orange tee and dark blue shorts comes towards them. Percy almost called her Rachel before realising it was Annabeth.

"Hey Perce, wassup?"

Next to Percy, Willow looks like she bursts out of anger.

"LADY ANNABETH ! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING THE PRINCE BY HIS FIRST NAME??--"she takes a deep breath.

Percy raises his eyebrows.

 _So that is_ _her reaction to Annabeth._

"---This is totally not acceptable! Why don't you understa..."

Percy keeps his eyes on the paper, trying to maintain indifference. Annabeth comes close enough to put a hand on his arms.

_Percy decides he wants to play._

"Oh but you also told that Percy could clear that for you. Tell her that we're practically soulmates and I can call you whatever I want."

He turns to her, tone bored as he sighs "And why would I do that Lady Annabeth?"

His eyes are shining in amusement.

_This jerk._

"Don't touch the Prince without permission Lady" spits Willow.

Annabeth takes away her hand and glares at Percy. "Revenge will be taken Seaweed Brain."

Willow gestures around in anger. "NO nicknames for the Prince. Not unless you're in Elite and definitely never in the presence of others"

Percy smirks. "You heard her, no nicknames." He tsks as if disappointed.

 _Okay, me is too curious._ (Percy thinks)

"What do you think about this one", he asks Willow gesturing to Annabeth.

Willow looks dumbfounded. "What... Prince.. I should answer that in her absence."

"What?" Prince looks to Annabeth in mock humour. "I'm sure she won't take any offence. Please be honest"

"Well... She.. she.. she is completely disrespectful!" Annabeth opens her mouth in shock while Percy pretends to be surprised.

_Huh?_

"Is she?" He says as he looks at Annabeth.

"... She is stubborn! Although she _knows_ all princess etiquettes by heart, she refuses to follow ANY of them! She knows she can't step out of her room in this ridiculous outfit but she does! She talks as if she already knows you... "

_Which she does._

Percy makes a O as he wraps one hand around Annabeth's shoulders. Annabeth gives him a stink eye.

"... She put on flip-flops to today's breakfast your highness! I haven't seen anyone who has practically spent their life with royal traditions but behaves like this! It will be quite a feat to bring her to the level of a Queen"

_Ouch._

Percy is completely elated. He doesn't try to fake emotions anymore and Willow looks from Percy to Annabeth in confusion. Annabeth hangs her head. Percy immediately notices, smiles, squeezes her shoulders and says "Take a joke Wise girl"

He quickly kisses her on the temple and Willow looks surprised. "I can't see one mistake in her discription though" he teases.

Annabeth scowls at him and pulls away "Get your hands off of me, Jackson!", Percy rises his hands in mock surrender.

Willow just stares at them, no longer confident that Annabeth was lying.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

_Wise girl, what a question?_

Percy stares at her. "Annabeth... It **_is_** my Selection".

Annabeth rolls her eyes. "Yeah, doofus, I'm the more intelligent one here"

"Trying to find out who lives where" he says

"Didn't you already do that this morning?"

_Nothing could get past Annabeth, could it?_

Percy smiles at her."You catched up, huh? I didn't hear everyone's"

"Do you even remember the ones you heard?"

"Not the point. People exchanged rooms, right? Where are you?"

"They changed rooms? I'm in mine... well... Mischelle's. 23"

 _Oh Annabeth_ _**is** _ _in 23 then. Nice but won't people fight for that room?_

"No one took your room?" He looks at her in disbelief.

"No and I can see why. There are no windows in my room"

_Of course. How could there be windows? It is the only different room in this part of the corridor, isn't it? No one knows the full truth though. Not even Annabeth._

"Annabeth that should be one of the most sought after rooms"

"Why?"

"Think Annabeth. You know the entire palace"

Annabeth looks like she is lost before all colour comes to her face. "My room is right below yours isn't? Of course!... no one else knows that. But hey, wait, your room is really big"

"Yeah I think rooms 23, 24 and 25 together make up my room" says Percy. "Hmm... we can send footstep messages" he wiggles his eyebrows.

"That is creepy Percy"

He rolls his eyes. "Says the one who invented them"

Percy then turns to Willow "About the permission. She can call me by name as long as too many people aren't around. No nicknames though, not unless we're alone or it is just the gang". Willow nods, still confused.

"Okayyy.." Annabeth pouts and Percy grins.

"Willow could you do me a favour and asks the girls to stay in their rooms after lunch? Make up a story but don't tell them about me. Tell them to ask for dinner to their own rooms." Willow nods and he turns to Annabeth. "Wise girl? Order mine too. Don't sleep early, I'm coming to you at last. I already know I'm keeping you"

_Annabeth thinks that although they're great friends, "I'm keeping you" sounds weird._

_.................._

Willow is good, Annabeth thinks. She told everyone that important military meetings would take place with the royal family over lunch so all the Selected would be called in for an early lunch.

Then, at lunch, she told everyone that the common room will be blocked for a briefing and it was mandatory that everyone stayed in their own rooms _alone_ as even the maids will be busy at the time. She then topped it off, saying that this will be their first disciplinary test and she would _know_ if anyone even _peaked_ out of their rooms.

No one _dared_ to question her when she reminded everyone that her inputs go directly to the royals.

It was already 11 30 when Percy knocked on Annabeth's door. He looked completely done for the day.

As soon as Annabeth opens the door, she asks "Gods Percy, did you even eat anything?"

Percy is literally putting half his weight on the door before he shifts his legs to come in. "Yeah --" he sounds _so_ tired,"-- I ordered some snacks to a few rooms when I couldn't take it anymore"

Annabeth closes her door and as soon as she turns back, Percy is cupping her face with two hands, breath fanning her cheeks. Annabeth suddenly feels hot. " _Please_ tell me you have my blue pancakes"

_Maybe if his stomach wasn't grumbling and he wasn't feeling completely grumpy, he would have had enough space in his mind to feel embarrassed too._

She puts her hands on top of his and says "Yes, I do. They've been waiting for about 10 minutes"

Percy looks confused. "How did you get the timing right?"

"I told Willow to tell me once you are done with 29 girls, you already told me that you saw two."

Percy stares at her.

"What would I do without you?", he sighs, drops his hands and walks towards the bed.

Percy is confused again when he sees two plates of food waiting. "You didn't eat?"

"Yeah, been long since we sat as friends with normal cloths and had a meal"

Percy gestures to his now messy suit. "You didn't have to do that and I'm still not wearing normal cloths"

"It is fine Percy, I slept most of the evening anyways. I'm not very hungry."

_She didn't. She was bored out of her mind when she realised she couldn't go to the library and then re-read a book trying to distract her hunger._

_But she could lie this much._

Percy groaned, removed his tie and coat, put it on the chair, stepped out of his shoes and socks, tucked out his shirt, removed the pant belt, adjusted the suit pants, undid the collar button and first button of his dress shirt, undid sleeve buttons, rolled both of them up, ruffled his hair and sat down cross legged across Annabeth on the bed.

_Annabeth kept repeating to herself to not look at him._

She wordlessly gave one plate to Percy and started eating from the other - all formalities forgotten, now that they were alone.

Percy, even in his tired state, managed to chuckle, "Not hungry, huh?"

He then takes his first bite and moans at the taste. Annabeth stares this time. "These never go wrong" he says and now it is her turn to chuckle.

They make small talk as they eat.

"Whed yoven dakto evbryon oda" says Annabeth, with a full mouth.

"Huh?"

She swallows. "Why did you even talk to everyone today?"

Percy sighs. "Media has not started criticism on you yet. They're solely focusing on Mischelle now. If we flood it with the first round of eliminations, light on you would be lesser... at least for the time being."

_He was doing this for her?_

_Indirectly, but still._

"Percy, I've been in the palace enough to know how bad media can get. I've seen it too, you know? I think I can handle it"

Percy shakes his head, "Hearing it and being the centre of it are very different Annabeth, trust me on this"

_So Annabeth does._

"So instead of announcing the first five eliminations in two weeks time, you're planning it in a week" she says.

"Yes and no, they'll be expecting military reports next week and the Selected won't even sit in... so, yes we're planning to drop the bomb but no, not 5... I'm thinking of eliminating 7" he says as he stretches his legs across (and now his feet are right next to Annabeth).

Annabeth widens her eyes. "Seven? Within a week Percy? That's a lot"

He leans on the wall. "Exactly why"

"It is still only Saturday. Reports are on Thursdays. You didn't have to meet all of them at once"

Percy shakes his head, still looking totally out of it.

Annabeth wonders if she should just let him sleep here and now. She could crash in one of the unoccupied rooms - she doesn't really care where.

 _Maybe if this wasn't the Selection._ She thinks.

"The excuse that Willow gave today to keep you all inside? That will actually happen next week. I won't have time for The Selected" he shuffles around "Gosh why is this shirt so uncomfortable"

Annabeth makes an O with her mouth then frowns. "If you were just gonna meet the girls, you should have thrown a tee, not a suit"

Percy smiles, "I'll remember that the next time I need to meet 35 girls in one day" he shakes his head playfully.

Annabeth understood the translation : _never._ "Wait... Does that mean we'll actually be locked up like this again? Gods no Percy, give me an invite for the library"

"Huh?"

"We're not given access to 3rd floor without an invite" she explains.

"Oh but I can only give invites for a day. It expires the next day. Give me a list and I'll send them to you, okay?"

Annabeth smiles "Thank you seaweed brain."

After a few more minutes, they finish eating.

"Wise girl, I wanna remove my in-shirt, it is too sweaty" he grimaces.

She nods and points to her right. "Bathroom there. Second switch."

By the time he comes back, she has put the dishes back onto the tray and left it outside the room. Percy puts his in-shirt on top of his coat then occupies his previous position. She sits beside him, also leaning on the wall. 

By now, he is just wearing his suit shirt and pants and he looks as if he slept the night in it.

"This room is better than yours, isn't it?" asks Percy.

"It is more spacey yeah but there is nothing about me in here"

He turns to her looking dazed "Then brings things here. I only have to give invites if you walk there alone. I could walk with you and we could bring stuff here. You'll need a second hand anyways."

She smiles and kisses Percy on the cheek who beams. "That's very nice of you Percy" Then she leans on the wall again, facing front. "Enough about me. What about you? How was today?"

_Annabeth thought she'd have spite in her tone when she asked him that question but all she can think now is how to take care of him._

"Exhausting" he sighed. "I should probably head back soon. Long meetings awaiting tomorrow", he sure says it, but doesn't make a move to leave. Then he takes one quick glance at Annabeth before getting off of bed and almost falling. He lazily brings a paper from his coat pocket.

_Annabeth thinks again that he looks really tired. She wasn't sure if he was exactly himself today._

_She likes this unguarded version of him._

"I should probably not be telling you all this because you're in the Selected too"- he sits down, facing Annabeth - "But... That's the entire list."Annabeth opens the list and finds several names ticked.

"The ticked ones are not going to be eliminated" he explains

"But Percy, you've only ticked about half the names"

"I've ticked 20. So I'm gonna spend some time with the ones I haven't ticked and pick my eliminations"

Annabeth nods and although she doesn't want to admit it, she feels disappointed when there is no 23 on the list.

_Percy didn't even write her down._

She gives the list back to Percy. "You know... Just because I'm your best friend doesn't mean you can just chose to ignore me"

He frowns.

"What? You don't even have me on the list."

He laughs a little. "I have the list because I can't say who is who yet. You are not there because I already know you."

Percy comes in to sit next to Annabeth and bumps their shoulders. "What wise girl? Afraid you are not good competition?"

Annabeth looks embarrassed. Percy brings his legs to his chest and hugs them with his hands. He then leans towards Annabeth. This way, Annabeth feels like she is trapped between Percy's eyes and the wall: _No escape_.

He says something for the second time. "Because to me, you're the best competition yet"

She laughs then challenges, "You keep saying that. Tell me honestly, do you want me to compete?"

"Yes"

_In the future, Percy will think back to this moment. He will wonder what that night drove him to speak himself. If he wasn't exhausted from his day, needing sleep so badly but wanting to talk to Annabeth for another minute, another minute, another minute... He will wonder if he would have ever had enough courage to say it the next morning... or any morning._

_He will wonder if he made the right choice._

Annabeth's heartbeat rises and she doesn't know what to say so she just stares at him. He sighs and backs off after not getting a reaction.

Annabeth stares at him. "Percy, this isn't funny."

"I'm not trying to humour you!" he says angrily. "Do you really not wanna compete? Not even a little?" he wants to sound harsh but it comes out pleading.

"I do" she admits, even to herself, for the first time.

_I really do, Percy._

It is Percy's turn to stare now, he doesn't believe her. "You do?"

"Yes"

"Then why won't you?", he almost cries it out and Annabeth knows there is no going back now.

"Because..." She gestures in-between them.."... you are my best friend Percy and I don't wanna ruin that. No matter what" she looks right into his eyes.

Maybe it is because Percy's heart is beating so much that his embarrassment has morphed into confidence or maybe it is because he doesn't have any guards up this moment but something gives him enough confidence to hold Annabeth's hand.

"Me neither" he says. "We won't ruin anything"

Annabeth pleads now "You don't know that Percy" but she turns her hand around and locks their fingers so their palms are touching.

_We won't because I can't lose you too._

Percy looks longingly at their intertwined hands. "I've had a crush on you since I was 13" he admits and faces Annabeth.

Annabeth's face feels hot but she knows he can't see anything in the darkness. "You did?" she asks softly and presses her other hand to their hands, silently asking him to continue.

_She wants to know._

"Hmm.. "- he looks at the empty bookshelf to his right --" I remember when I knew. Remember I used to have pictures of Poseidon in hopes that I don't forget him? I took many copies of him and randomly placed them inside my school books."

"On the first day of highschool, a photo fell off of my history book and someone took it before I could. He teased me about having a girlfriend and man, I got so flustered that day. Then remember how you came to school that day and told them off saying I'm the prince and nobody believed us? They knew only when Mr. Kim interviewed me outside the school a week later. They looked so horrified that it was funny."- he looks back to Annabeth to find her smiling- "it was my 13th birthday picture. You were rubbing cake all over my face and pinching me while we said cheese to the camera."

 _If she_ _is smiling I should be happy, then why do I fear that I just ruined it?_

"I remember that. We did it in front of King Poseidon's statue."

Percy nods. "I didn't want to ruin us either. So I kept quiet but ever since then, whenever you wore my crown after capture the flag it was embarrassing for me" he scratches his neck.

_Please say something._

Suddenly they become silent. Annabeth takes a deep breath.

"Is this honesty time?" she asks.

He shrugs, already feeling the rejection.

They go into an awkward silence.

_Percy suddenly feels like it is too much, he wants to leave._

"I've had a crush on you too" she says. He turns so quickly towards her that she starts laughing.

_What?_

"Well.. mine is more complicated I guess. I can't exactly say since when I have actually had it."- Percy stares so intensely at Annabeth that she finds herself blushing. "-- Remember when we went on that 'ride of love'?" she laughs.

_Yeah, you told me that you'd never do it with me._

"I did feel weird after it but it didn't last long... Then when Sally married Paul.. you despised everything Tyson but still got so worried when he fell off the boat and drowned himself. Remember you helped him through the hospital and stayed by him as support? You refused to leave him although he was alright and we had to bring over food to you. Everyone grumbled about being the Prince's servants but I saw how much you cared for him Percy"

She looks away, "I guess it was the little things like that"

 _Percy figures that it doesn't matter_ how _it happened._

They looked at each other till it became awkward which is too quick.

"I should head back and give this list to Willow tomorrow" he says.

"Can I walk you?"

"It is literally just a floor up"

"Let me walk you"

"Okay"

So they get out of bed and Percy takes all of his things on his hand, too lazy to put them on again. When they open the door and come into the hallways' bright lights, Annabeth notices for the first time that Percy's suit shirt is a little transparent.

You won't be able to tell it from a distance and nothing really shows except his skin colour but it still makes Annabeth go red. Percy crackles his neck as soon as they open the door, probably sore from sitting in a position too long.

 _Annabeth wonders what they would look like to anyone who sees them now_ \-- Percy having loosened all of his clothing in one way or another and carrying them in his hands, both of them blushing from the confessions, their hair ruffled because of all their movements for the past hour. To top it off, anyone could say Percy genuinely looked tired. 

Then she realises in mortification that Miss. Willow is still on her desk. Before she could even warn Percy (who is too busy stretching his shoulders now), she looks their way.

_Even Willow does a double take before she composes herself and walks towards them._

Then Percy notices and he goes red too. "M-Miss. Willow.." his eye widens and he looks at Annabeth.

_Smooth Percy, smooth._

He momentarily goes speechless before saying, "It is not how it looks"

Annabeth puts her hand on her face and glares at Percy.

_Way to go, Prince._

Willow doesn't say anything.

Percy is still flustered. "You-you didn't have to stay" he points out.

By then, she is standing next to room number 22, on the other side of the staircase.

Annabeth realises with mortification again that she could probably say he isn't wearing his in-shirt if she observed.

"I know your majesty but lights out is my duty" she explains.

Percy closes his eyes in guilt and borderline frustration. "I'm really sorry, I should have relieved you from duty." He runs one hand through his hair again. "I mean it, this isn't how it looks"

"It isn't in my position to judge you Prince", she says but her voice is stern and harsh.

Annabeth realises that the more she lets Percy speak, the more she gets in trouble. She bites her teeth, looks at him and spits "She GETS it, now you get going."

Percy gesture his hands around in embarrassment before he says "Okay" and starts climbing up the stairs.

One look at Willow and Annabeth knows there is a lecture coming.

Halfway through, Percy turns around from above and says "Hey, Annabeth?"

"What?" She replies in anger.

"Ah... Malcom told me he wants to see you tomorrow... something about... falling skyscrapers?" Looks like Percy is wondering what it is.

"Falling skyscrapers?" That's too weird, thinks Annabeth.

Percy looks up, "wait... Was it building fish tanks?"

Annabeth looks even more confused, "Building fish tanks?"

Percy waves it away. "Just ask him, will you? My head is bursted for today. Oh and Miss. Willow--" he jumps down two steps before picking up the list leaning to hand it over to her-- " please give me a guide to fit dates, with the people who HAVEN'T been ticked on the list, in my schedule before wednesday night. All of them will be 30 minutes max. I'll send over the schedule tomorrow at noon"

He turns to Annabeth one last time, "Goodnight Wise Girl"

Annabeth scoffs. _Who is breaking the no nicknames rule now?_

"Goodnight Seaweed Brain"

Annabeth looks at Willow, who sighs, "We'll talk tomorrow."

_Annabeth presses her lips and leaves and hopes that Willow didn't see the skin that was clearly visible when Percy leaned down to give her the list._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhh... Willow thinks that Prince Percy and Lady Annabeth are upto something. How will she take the news?
> 
> And Percabeth finally admitted to crushes!!! Fantastic! How will things change from here?
> 
> What do you think guys?
> 
> Please give me feedback. Laugh, criticise, say nice things and spam my mail with your comments!
> 
> Happy reading.


	4. "Feed me Annie"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Willow care enough to know what actually happened or will she assume things about Percy like everyone else?

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"Life is all about balance. Even when you feel like you're walking on a rope between two mountains with a pole in your hand, you can't let the winds distract you from enjoying the scenery."**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Percy wasn't kidding when he said that he was going to be busy. Annabeth didn't see him _anywhere_ on Sunday and it was already half past three.

She had seen Malcom after lunch and it turns out he need few more sketches on building auditoriums.

_Fish tanks? Really?_

Eating with the Selected became better after she made a few acquaintances in the common room that morning. No one dug into harsh topics, everything they asked or said were all surface level. That said, everyone seemed to be talking about yesterday. About how the Prince surprised them like they were expecting.

Annabeth felt they were giving him way more credit than he deserved but she chose to keep those opinions to herself. She heard a few rumours and one struck out: Someone said that Percy first went to see Rachel.

_She wondered if it was true._

Currently she was sitting in the common room, still wearing a dress. Piper, Katie and Sarah were with her, all sitting around a round table.

"Wait--" says Piper and sips her tea "-- if you've been around for so long then you should definitely know the Prince, right?"

Annabeth shrugged.

"So... You don't know the Prince?" says Sarah.

Annabeth shrugs again, not sure how to approach this situation.

"You know the Prince?" Asks Katie.

Annabeth looks at the three and decides there is no point hiding it any longer. It was going to come out eventually anyways. "We're friends"

"Isn't that unfair to the rest of us?" says Sarah.

Annabeth frowns. "Is it?"

_You don't have anything to lose if this doesn't work out, I will lose my best friend._

Just then Miss. Willow walks into the common room. Annabeth thinks for a moment that she is going to lecture them all on what happened yesterday, probably looking at Annabeth while doing so. She doesn't know why Willow hasn't said anything yet because Annabeth was expecting a lecture.

_Yesterday. She was expecting it yesterday._

"You all should have realised by now that Prince Percy played out a trick yesterday--" several ooos and aaas erupt out of the room.

"-- It was clever of the Prince to come up with such a perfect excuse but ladies, what he said isn't false--"

Annabeth frowns. _It_ _wasn't Percy's idea, it was yours._

"-- It was just preponed. The military meetings will happen for the next three days. You needn't keep out of the common room and you are given liberty to walk but certain areas of the palace will be out of bounds"

"Should the Prince wish to accompany any of you anywhere, please dress simply and modestly. Your conversations will not be private and we'll have eyes on you. If any Selected sees the Prince with another Selected, you will not disturb, intrude or sabotage their conversation for whatever reason you find. Such actions will not be taken lightly. Kindly step out of their way."

"Lastly girls, the Prince has worked really hard for this over the past few weeks. Don't try nonsense and put more on his plate"

Everybody bows and she leaves.

Annabeth frowns. Percy hadn't worked on it for weeks, he only got the information a few days back. It was his _parents and the council_ who worked on it for weeks while he was busy with the Selection and the arrangements.

He even took time off to spend with his friends.

Annabeth didn't know why she praised Percy so much and gave him unnecessary credit but now she gets it. She doesn't just want to make the girls look good in Percy's eyes but she also wants to make _Percy a good person in the girls' eyes._

Now she gets why Willow was disappointed yesterday.

_It tainted the image of Percy she wanted everyone to believe._

Annabeth excused herself and went towards the long doors. She rushed to catch up with Miss. Willow.

"Miss. Willow, please, hear me out"

Willow looks to her briefly Before turning back to her files. "What is it Lady Annabeth?"

"I know you don't believe me but at least hear the story before you make assumptions"

"Lady whatever you do in the privacy of your room is none of my business" she says harshly.

"I know but I can also talk to you about anything that is related to the Selection" Annabeth argues.

Willow looks at Annabeth and she already knows that she is too stubborn to give up so she says "Okay, go on"

So Annabeth does.

She explains everything from what happened the first time she saw them together that morning to what happened that night. She explains even the details, about the things they talked, about him using the bathroom to change, about how they've been friends for so long that they didn't have formalities between them.

She only leaves out the part where Percy shows her the list and the part where they confess. She tells her that they were reminiscing childhood memories.

"-- that's it. Nothing happened. We are just two best friends who haven't spent time because of our busy schedules. And there is no sin in getting yourself comfortable even if it means you loosen some cloths.--"

_Annabeth feels a sudden urge to get Willow's approval._

"-- I'm sorry that we forgot to tell you to go. I'm sorry that I'm not princess material because I'm an architect. I don't belong in front of the cameras so I'm trying, okay? I won't call Percy Seaweed Brain in front of the other Selected. Hell, I won't even call him by his name but please--"

"-- don't make assumptions on things you don't know. I know you don't believe me now but I hope with time you realise that although I am competing for the Prince, Percy, in my eyes, is my best friend before he is a Prince. I also hope you realise that there is no need to give him extra credit--"

Willow's eyebrows shoot up and she looks surprised.

"-- because if you know the Prince like I do, you will realise that he is an amazing person naturally. All the stories about him are just that: stories. He doesn't _need_ people to give credit for you to like him because _he is_ _already_ doing a million things right."

_Why did she doing this?_

_Because this isn't just about her._

_It is about her best friend._

_......._

The next morning, Willow waits outside the council meeting room for the Prince. His schedule is tight for the week but she manages to fit 20 dates like he asked. As she stands jobless-ly waiting for his majesty, Annabeth's words from yesterday ring in her mind.

_Is Annabeth the reason why the scandal happened in the first place?_

_Could it be staged?_

_If Percy already has an established relationship, why would he organise a Selection?_

_What if he had to? For the press? For the traditions?_

_Is Percy really the player like the media says?_

_She wants to tell Percy that Annabeth isn't the right choice for a Queen. Annabeth knows rules like pages know a story. She won't be able to follow half of them. She is too spontaneous, too stubborn, too proud._

_It doesn't matter if he is infatuated with her_ _. Being the future King he could even chose to be with her behind the cameras but he needs a better Queen._

_But, what if they really were just friends?_

She realises that she wants to _know._

She wants to know his side of the story because there is no way they met during the past two days, his schedule has been too jam-packed to even fit in a 30 minute date, forget meeting the Selected.

_If his side of the story matches to Annabeth's version, she would have unnecessarily been spiteful to the Prince._

Percy comes out with the council and the royals. Willow bows to them. Percy excuses himself from the dismissing crowd and walks beside Willow.

"Miss. Willow, I don't mean to be rude but I have an interview in 20 minutes. Whatever it is can wait" he frowns.

Willow catches up with him and hands over a file. "I've fit in 20 dates like you asked. Your list is also inside."

"Twenty? Miss, I asked you to set up fourteen dates. Dates with the ones who **haven't** been ticked." he sighs and Willow widens her eyes. "Please tell me you haven't sent them any notice regarding this", he runs one hand through his hair.

"No, I haven't. I'm so sorry I misread your request. It won't happen again" Percy nods.

Just as he was about to leave, Willow calls out. "Your majesty?", she sounds reluctant.

Percy turns around. "Yes"

"I shouldn't have reacted the way I had. I know I told you it is none of my business but it does.."

"Come to the point Miss. Willow", he looks irritated.

"What is your side of the story?", she asks confidently.

_Percy thinks of telling her off. He doesn't wish to share it._

He stares, "My side of the story? I never knew talking to people could get this exhausting. I was really tired after and I craved eating my blue pancakes. What I didn't expect is that Annabeth would wait till I came to eat them with me--" he expression softens.

"-- It was like old times again, before the gang, just the two of us. Grover was missing though. I get comfortable because it is Annabeth, she won't judge me even if I wear a girl's dress. You have no idea how sweaty staying in a new suit can get. That's why I used the bathroom to change--" he suddenly looks embarrassed.

"Then--then we talk childhood stories and call it a night. My room is right above so I don't think of wearing everything all over again. I was really tired Miss. Willow and I just wanted to spend some time with my friend as a normal person before I got stuck as a royal again" he gets irritated again.

 _That isn't very_ _Prince-like_ _,_ Miss. Willow thinks but she hangs her head down and nods.

"Don't beat yourself up. At least I know you won't take shit for an answer now." He says harshly then chuckles. "Annabeth is right you know? I really should start wearing casuals around. I can't sit another hour in this."

Annabeth's words ring in Willow's mind.

 _"--- I tell him to drop suits and prefer tees but the idiot doesn't listen. He just_ _refuses--_ _"_

Maybe Willow did eye Percy with too much suspicion. Maybe she was wrong about him, just... in a different way.

_..........._

That night, Willow is walking up the stairs for lights out when she hears someone arguing above her. It doesn't take too long to figure out that it is the Prince and Lady Annabeth but she makes no move to leave or approach them.

She listens to them.

The staircases had breaks halfway between the floors much like the ones you see in emergency exits of malls or buildings.

"--ercy, you need to calm down. All this running will get you no where. You are overworking yourself, you doofus. --"

His tone is harsh, "Wise girl, you don't get it okay? This military meetings is far more complicated than they tell you. You know that we've been having border problems for ages--"

"I KNOW! But look at yourself, did you even wash up today? Did you eat properly? --" Percy mumbles something inaudible.

Percy and Annabeth are about two feet away both leaning on walls that are 90° to each other but Willow can't see that. "Percy show me the revised schedule that Miss. Willow gave to you. I won't have much access but I will check things with others and have them meet you from time to time. Just to cool off you know?"

"Annabeth you don't have to do that" Percy sits down on the floor and Annabeth sits on a staircase little away from him.

"I know, I want to. Besides, I am basically free all day and I hate it."

"I want to be free all day", Percy whines. "About the schedule, Miss. Willow put in 20 dates instead of 14. I was wondering... "

"Oh really? That's even better Percy. You can take the time off to relax and sleep. Right now you look like you really need sleep."

"No. Annabeth. Listen. I was wondering if we could gather the gang for lunch on wednesday. Let us leave the other Selected to have lunch with my parents. I'll escort you and call it a date but we'll catch up with the gang in my room--"

"Ya! You should use your free time to rest, not have cheap food with a dozen people on royal floors" says Annabeth.

Percy teases, "Pleasseeee Annie."

"Don't call me Annie and fine, if that's what you want. You aren't escorting me though, I can't change in between"

"Oh yeah, me too, I didn't think of that."

"Of course you didn't Kelp Head because you'd just half undress yourself, sleep on the bed, eat french fries and not give a damn that girls are in the same room."

"Hey, it is not like you ever cared... who was the one wearing my tee last time?"

"1) That was Jason's, not yours. 2) It was because Grover poured ketchup all over mine", she argues.

_Willow wonders how close really this gang is._

"By the way, I sort of bombarded Miss. Willow and demanded she listened to what really happened" Annabeth said, a little shy.

"Oh now I get where she got the idea from", Willow feels a little guilty.

"Huh?"

"She bombarded me asking for my side of the story today morning"

"Ohh, what'd you say?"

"What? Did you expect me to lie? I wanted to tell her to get lost but I told her the truth."

"Why? You didn't have to. You are the Prince"

"But this isn't just about me Wise girl, it is about you too--" Annabeth blushes, "-- Imagine how she would have reacted if she knew I had a crush on you", Percy laughs.

"Why? You wanna find out?"

"Should we?"

 _Willow turns off the lights_ _and_ wonder _s_ _what other surprises await._

_....................._

Annabeth didn't have an opinion about the Selected before because she hardly spent time with them but now she does. It has only been a day since she told three people that she knows Percy and suddenly everyone in the room seem interested in her.

News gets around pretty fast.

Annabeth didn't particularly care where she sat during meals but when Piper started saving a seat for her, she didn't question it, especially because she started doing it before she got to know about Percy's relationship with Annabeth.

Piper looked like she was searching for friends in everyone she met. Maybe it was just her nature but she was never rude. She even teased Annabeth when she told about Percy unlike everyone else who shifted to jealous mode.

Annabeth decides she needs a friend too.

There are a few unsaid rules inside the Selected. Katie, Rachel, Maria and Cassy always sit together and Rachel always sits right next to the royal family. On the other side Drew, Calypso, Zoe and Amber formed a gang and they alternated between themselves to sit next to the royals.

Other side of the coin, few girls always sat at the back. Annabeth wasn't sure if they were made to or they chose to but she learnt that most of them were 7s or 8s and that for some reason angered her. There were all Selected, all equals, no need to feel down.

Thalia, another 7, was the only one confidently sitting with the 3s, 4s and 5s because no one dared to question her. She looked dangerous in her emo make-up and leather garments over her usually marron or black dresses.

They didn't have any traditional royal 'silent' meals either. Estelle would play around with "you match", Sally would try to make small talk with everyone around, Percy and Tyson would give Estelle new ideas, Paul would watch or hit a conversation with his brother and Miranda would ask random questions to random girls. Sometimes they'd all have a topic like a hobby or a dream place and talk it around like Percy's game.

They didn't wear formals or dresses on weekends and since only Estelle would be joining them till wednesday afternoon, with a little bit of convincing, the girls who wanted to wear casuals were allowed to till then.

Annabeth was really getting sick of all the looks because of her shorts.

Tuesday night, Estelle comes to dinner in her night dress. She jumps all over before coming to Annabeth and climbing on her lap.

"Feed me", Everyone stares at Estelle then at Annabeth.

Annabeth smiles and brings one spoon of her lunch to Estelle. She eats and tugs on Piper's hands. Piper looks down. Estelle climbs on Annabeth's lap and the other girls stare. "Do you know what the whale said to the human?"

Piper stares at her then looks to Annabeth for help. "Ask what"

"What did it say?", asks Piper.

"Whale hello there", she says and giggles. Piper lifts one eyebrow at Annabeth who shrugs. "Too much time with Percy", she says.

"What is the remedy for sea sickness?" She asks Thalia.

"What?"

"A pocean", she starts giggling again. Thalia tries to not roll her eyes but she looks amused.

Estelle faces Jade now. "Why do I get angry, sad, happy or hurt?"

Jade looks clueless while Annabeth says, "Oh this one is even better"

Annabeth tickles Estelle and says "Because I have too many--"

"EMOCEANS" says Estelle. Jade smiles.

The girls talk nonsense to Estelle while she giggles and eats. After she finishes, she gives them a full bow and leaves. Piper whispers something like 'true Princess'.

A few moments of amusing silence pass.

"Of course--" says Stella after Estelle leaves, "-- Princess would be asked to be fed by the maid", she laughs bitterly. A few people follow her. Annabeth glares at them.

"Feed me Annie", mocks Marcy.

"Back off" says Piper. Annabeth is shocked that she is defending her. She was trying to be friends with them just minutes ago.

"Not you too, get better friends Pretty Eyes" says Amber.

"Yeah you are crossing paths with the cheater" says Marcy.

"Hmm... And a loser who uses the Princess to get closer to the Prince, how pathetic. Don't you have confidence in yourself Bethie? " says Stella.

Just then, Hazel comes in. "ANNABEEETH!", she calls.

She looks up in equal enthusiasm. "YESSSS"

Literally everybody stare at them.

"PLAN B. CROWN RED. TIARA WORK. SPARK NO EYES. IF TIARA BRING CROWN ORANGE THEN MIRROR FOUR", she says, still enthusiastic.

_Translation: Plan change. Sally found out and she isn't happy about it. Percy's busy. Don't know where Jason is so I should inform him if I see him . If Percy manages to convince her then we'll meet at 8 pm at Percy's._

_How did Sally find out?_

"TILE THREE OUT OF HAND. GREEN?" Annabeth asks.

_Translation: I can't go to the third floor. How will I know if he convinced her?_

Hazel thinks, "NUT ESCORT PRE DESERT"

_Translation: Hazel will escort you before dinner._

"Okay!", She says as nonchalant as possible.

"What was that?", asks Piper.

Annabeth leans to Piper so only she can hear. "Message regarding a gang meet."

"You have codes among you? Cool."

"Look at her, she is even making _friends with code words_ with other maids", says Marcy.

Stella, Jade and few others chuckle.

Hazel narrows her eyes on Marcy, "Believe me, you shouldn't be messing with me."

"Or what?", teases Marcy, "you'll go complaining to the _queen?_ Gosh, these people are all the same. Baseless threats"

Katie speaks up, "Shut up idiots. This isn't a sick competition."

Annabeth sees Drew narrow her eyes on Katie.

"Oh but it is, isn't it Annie?", says Tracy from a few seats back, she gestures to Hazel, "And who is this? Your newly paid wing woman?"

"Oh I was always her wing woman and no, unlike you, she didn't have to pay for hers." snaps Hazel.

Thalia speaks up. "It really isn't a competition. This is about the Prince being responsible enough to chose the best Queen among us. From what I see, that is none of you.", she gestures to everyone but Annabeth and Piper.

And just like that, the Selected have gone from easy outline topics to being Ichor's new rude press.

.........

Wednesday, at lunch, Percy comes in after everyone have started.

"Nice to know you wanted to join us Prince", says Sally.

"My apologies mom, I got little sidetracked"

"Really? Because a little birdy told me that you were planning to skip lunch today for your friends--"

Percy goes red and looks sharply at the Selected.

_Did Annabeth tell her?_

_Would she?_

"-- I'm expecting you to be more responsible Percy. You can't abandoned the Selected for your friends--", she looks at Annabeth who looks at her plate, "--or even your Selected friends."

For the first time, the Selected seemed to get the reference. A few glares are thrown at Annabeth.

"It won't happen again, I promise." says Percy.

_So Annabeth didn't do it._

_Then who did?_

Percy notices how some girls keep glancing Annabeth's way during lunch. The atmosphere is awfully quiet, almost like how a royal dinner 'should' be.

Percy hates it.

He specifically told Hazel to use code and honestly, it wasn't long at all : WE THREE MEET SEA MIRROR SIX.

After a while, he notices that Annabeth keeps glancing his way and wonders why. There isn't anything interesting about him today. When he makes eye contact with Annabeth for at least the 20th time that day, she quickly presses two fingers to her lips as she listens to Piper.

_2'o clock?_

Jason is standing to Percy's 2'o clock.

_No way, Jason wouldn't have._

When Percy looks at Jason, he realises that he is looking at Annabeth too. After a few times, Jason catches Percy's eyes and slightly straightens his hand to show a two. Then he shows a hand, fingers pressed together.

 _Mirror_ 2'o clock.

Miss. Willow is at Percy's 10'o clock.

 **[A/N: Mirror image of 2'o clock is 10'o clock. For time between 6 am and 6pm (usual working time), they use just numbers. If they show a mirror, it refers to 6pm to 12am.** **Since** **they needn't use nighttime numbers sometimes they say it as NIGHT TWO which is also valid. So that makes MIRROR common for PM usually.**

**Note: Mirror 6 and Mirror 12 refer to 12 pm and 6 pm respectively. If they need to say 12 am or 6 am then they would just say the number]**

**[A/N: I know it is slightly confusing but that was the point. If they had straightforward codes it would be easy to track.**

**WE THREE (third day of the week) MEET SEA (gang at Percy's) MIRROR SIX (12 PM)** ]

 _Lights out._ His mind reminds him.

Shit. That was when he said the plan out for the first time. There was no code and he genuinely thought they were alone.

_He may have tried his best to appear humble and nice to Miss. Willow as Percy but he decides that it is time to let her know that he is afterall, the Prince._

_No one should purposefully WANT to mess with the Prince._

Feeling grumpy, he has a quick lunch and stands up. "I'm telling you now because I don't want this to come out a surprise during tomorrow's _Report._ Anyone whose chairs aren't present at breakfast tomorrow are eliminated. Wear casuals for today's dinner."

Percy leaves then, feeling hurt at all the girls' expressions, feeling frustrated that he couldn't get his time to cool off before he made his decision, feeling lost that he doesn't yet know who he is going to reject.

_He would explain it to the Queen tomorrow but first, he needed explain things to his mom after lunch._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How will Percy confront Miss. Willow?
> 
> Will he fire her?
> 
> COMMENT GUYS!! I'M WAITING FOR YOUR IDEAS AND THEORIES. 
> 
> COMMENT ANONYMOUSLY , what's more fun, right?


	5. "Fail: We three meet sea mirror 6"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooo
> 
> What would Sally say? 
> 
> Will he be able to meet with the gang?
> 
> For all you Americans, Happy independence day.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”  
― C.S. Lewis.**

** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **

Sally came out of the diner only to see Percy waiting for her. Her heart ached when she scolded him but that is what she was supposed to do. She can't let Percy take The Selection lightly. What kind of a mother would that make her?

Percy said, "Mom... Just wait.."

"Guard, what is Percy's schedule now?"

The guard half bowed to her before saying, "The Prince is supposed to attend the West-Alson border meeting in 20 minutes, your majesty. After that he is--"

She raised one hand to stop him. "I don't see why you are still here then, son. Have you gone through the discription yet? How do you expect yourself to be useful in a meeting if you have to go there to learn all the stories?"

Percy looked down.

Her heart ached even more. She put one hand on his shoulder for her own comfort. "Whatever it is can wait. Go now."

Percy looked at his guard for a second before grabbing Sally's arm and pulling her to the nearest room. He turned to his guard, "No. Don't follow. Regulation 3 code 7. Delay by 20. Bring everything to the meeting room and meet me there. Mason, stay outside the door. Understood?"

His two guards nodded and Mason, who was standing next to the diner doors now moved to stand in front of the room.

Sally didn't want to be angry. She had to be. "Percy this is important. You can't just postpone every meeting you have. Every hour we waste here someone in the border --"

"I know mom", his voice breaks, "I know."

Sally looks at him alarmed as he half drags himself to hug her. It has been so long since Sally has seen Percy this... disturbed.

"Honey..", she strokes his hair in comfort. "What is it? Tell me."

Percy does. He let out everything that had occupied his mind for a while now. He tells her about the border issues, military deaths, about Miss. Willow and about The Selection.

A tear threatens to flow, "--- and I just... I don't know. I wanted a break. I delt with the eastern issues yesterday. God that was so horrific. I promise mom, I'm trying everything. I just don't know how to manage it all. How did you do it in a war? I really wish I was as strong as you sometimes."

Sally drew comfortable circles to his back as she listened to him. If there was anything more heartbreaking than scolding your son, it was seeing him on the verge of tears.

"I wasn't alone Percy. I had lots of help. You do too, remember that."

"I know I know. It is just.. I told 35 people that tomorrow there will be eliminations but honestly, I didn't even decide on a single name yet. Then we'll have to get them cleared and mom... just... How do I even concentrate on the Selection with everything else going on?"

"Percy, you don't have to eliminate anyone yet. Take your time on the decisions. We'll tell everyone that you'd like to know them better before eliminating so soon."

He shook his head. "I have to eliminate at least 6 people mom. For Annabeth. I promised her that it things won't go out of hand with the media. I can't let it."

Sally's heart warmed at how much he cared for his friend. It was one of those things that was naturally Percy. Things that will one day make him a great leader. "What do you need, Percy?"

"I've cleared my schedule. I promise I'm not missing any important meetings. I just want some time to cool off, mom", he pleaded.

"Okay. I agree. But you can't use your time with the Selected on this. I'm sorry Percy, I can't allow that."

"I'm planning on taking them for meals though. Is that alright?"

Sally hits him playfully, "Of course that's alright."

He manages a small smile, "Then please consider as if I'm taking Annabeth out for dinner today. Just once, mom." He puts his hands on hers. "I'll take everyone else out too. I want to be fair."

How is she supposed to say no to that?

"Okay Percy. I agree."

"Also.. ", he clears his throat and scratches his neck, "um.. I confessed that I had a crush on Annabeth."

_Really?_

_Did my son grow up so much already?_

Sally sighed. "About time."

When he looked back at her, his eyes were shining. "She told me that she did too."

_Have they....?_

"So have you two...?"

"What? No!"

"But you both admitted to liking each other, right?"

"Yes. So?"

"I am assuming you were alone when it happened?"

"Yeah.."

"So why didn't you just --"

"MOM!!"

"Okay, okay. Is there anything else?"

.....................

Miss. Willow usually sits on her desk in the L-shaped corridor assigned for the Selected's rooms. Her desk is right in the junction so that she could view both sides at a time.

After his meetings, Percy, still in his suit, sits on Miss.Willow's desk and waits for her. Meanwhile, he flips through records of each and every Selected and feels more and more like Miss. Willow is focusing on the wrong things and neglecting the obvious.

A few Selected notice him and try to approach him while he is reading the documents.

"Hello, your ma--"

"Go to your rooms" he says even without looking up.

After a while, "Prince Percy! How nice--"

"Go to your rooms"

Then again, "Percy?"

He groans. "ROOM please!"

"Percy, it is me"

Percy looks up to find Annabeth but she isn't alone. A few girls follow her. "Room."

He hears the girls snicker behind her. "What are you laughing at?", he challenges.

Soon it is just him and papers.

Willow arrives at about 7 feeling happy that's she has done her first successful scoop since the Selection started. Percy has waited for a good half a hour for her. "Good evening Miss. Willow. Glad you found it appropriate to join the us _after_ everyone got into their rooms"

Willow stares at Percy. He gets up from her desk and goes to its front, facing her. He rests two hands on her desk before gesturing her to sit down. This way, he looks big and intimidating.

"What is your side of the story?", he mocks.

"I-I don't understand"

"What you did today was really inappropriate. So tell me. What. Is. Your. Side. Of. The. Story?", he says as he flips her papers so they face her again.

"You-you were planning to-to chose your friends over my Selected--"

"Hmm... First nonsense. They're MY Selected, not yours"

"As their mentor it is mandatory that I report the things that affect them, no matter if you like them or not"

"Second problem --", he sighs, "As their mentor it is mandatory that you inform us if anything goes wrong with THEM or if you find any suspicious behaviour, no matter if I like it or not"

"But abandoning the Sele-"

"For the second time", Percy says angrily, "It is NONE of your business how I decide to spend my time with the Selected or with my friends!"

"Prince --"

"Do. You. Understand?", he asks lowly, now irritated.

"Yes, but --"

" _Your job,"_ he exaggerates it like speaking to someone with poor english, " is to do background checks on every one of the Selected"

"They've already been done"

Percy looks at her like she is dumb. "How well do you think they were checked on the first go? There were thousands of them. You have 35, no, you have 34."

Willow looks down.

He lowers his voice,"So do me a triple layer background check. Everything. Friends. Family. Relationships. Academics. Sports... Whatever you can think of."

"I know you haven't started classes yet. But I am sure you'll observe their administrative ways, their poise and their discipline like a pro but what I want you to do on top of that is tell me how they act. Tell me their characters. Tell me their strengths and weaknesses. Tell me how they treat each other."

"Do. You. Copy?" He asks.

She nods.

"Whatever complains you have about the girls or whatever fights they have among themselves, learn them and bring them to the Queen on a weekly basis. If I ask for it then tell me too. Your job is to do all this without them realising you are onto them. And listen, 10 is lights off time, no matter where I am or where the Selected are. Report the ones who check in late but only warn, do _not_ scold them. It is my job to judge their characters."

She nods again.

"I hope you see that your job here is to spy the Selected and not the Prince --" Willow's eyes widen.

"Don't even _try_ to deny it lady. You are no better than the press in many ways but unfortunately that also makes you perfect for this job. If you think you have some sort of protection because my mom hired you then you're wrong. I will not tolerate something like this again. Is. That. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, your majesty."

Percy smirks and flips her papers again. "Do you think anyone but the media will hire you if you get fired from the palace by a royal? I don't know you Willow but clearly you didn't get the job because you pulled any strings. You have talent. Now. Don't. Waste. It. On. Useless. Things. If you deviate one --"

Percy hears the sound of someone opening the door and grits his teeth as he turns. "How. Many. Times --" he says in pure anger, voice dangerously low.

Then he sees Annabeth in her orange tee and blue long(?) shorts. She actually looks frightened and his expression melts. "What are --"

She rises both her hands. "I swear I just came out for dinner."

Percy leans on his left to look back but rest of his body still facing Miss. Willow. He smiles a small cute smile before saying "Green."

_Oh and I just lost all my anger, great._

Annabeth just stands there, not knowing what exactly he wants.

"What? What are you waiting for?", He smirks and turns his whole body around to face her.

"Oh you mean... Now?" She asks as she points one finger below out of habit. (Gesture for now)

He walks a little forward, pointedly looking at Annabeth like how he'd look at Estelle when she misreads obvious things.

Annabeth wordlessly climbs up the stairs and Percy gives one last disappointed look at Miss. Willow before he goes towards them.

_One problem solved. A dozen more to go._

_........................._

They silently climb up the stairs and get into Percy's room. Two guards with full armour are always stationed in front of his room, no matter the time or day. When they see Percy, they bow for him. He nods his head in acknowledgement.

"A few friends will come over in a while. Keep the doors open. If Annabeth grants them permission, let them in.", The guards look at each other. Percy goes in and starts removing his coat. Annabeth stares at nothing for a minute and decides to go in too.

Only, she can't because one of the guards stop her by crossing their armour. Annabeth blinks.

Percy turns around at the sound. "Okay, Why do I have new guards now?"

The guards only look at each other. Neither of them dare to look inside Percy's room. Percy comes up behind them. "First things first, SHE is Annabeth. She is the one who is supposed to give permission to enter the room" The guards come to ease position and let Annabeth in.

"Turn around, and remove your face shields" Percy says. He stretches his hands to the left guard who says "Ethan Namakura, 4"

The right guard removes his face shield and Annabeth jumps forward to hug him. "LUKE!!"

Luke freezes and looks at Percy who is frowning. Annabeth pulls back, slightly awkward and looks at Percy. "Percy you remember Luke, right? He is the one who took me in custody after... "

"Oh. So you're Luke"

"Yes.. um.. Luke Castellan"

She turns to the left guard, "I'm Lady Annabeth Chase. Selected". She sees Luke raise an eyebrow and glance at Percy.

"So what happened to my guards, the stoll brothers?" He asks.

"Transfers, your majesty. Our shift starts at 9am and ends at 9pm", says Ethan.

"Is it permanent? I don't know you and I usually have people I know as guards."

They look at each other but Annabeth replies. "Percy you can trust Luke, he is a good guy."

He knows that expression: _You can't be serious that you don't trust my friend!_

"Fine, I'm gonna go take a shower. You let people in and please this time they should remember the password", he holds Annabeth by her shoulders and slightly pushes her just out of the room. "Password please", he grins.

"No. You are an idiot to think I would ever say that"

"Okay. Stay out", and he goes inside.

"Fine! I have to catch up with Luke anyway.", she scoffs.

Percy turns sharply, looking surprised. "Fine. Come in.", he gets into the attached bathroom.

"No", she replies.

"Annabeth.."

"I said I have to catch up. What am I gonna do inside anyway? Stare at the walls?"

"Watch TV. Play video games. Honestly Annabeth, you didn't not just ask me what to do in _my_ room. Tell me one thing you cannot do here!"

She rolls her eyes at him.

.......

Luke was Annabeth's temporary guardian when her mother passed away. Her father had remarried to someone who grew to hate Annabeth. Both her father and mother knew the royals well because they both served for them. Percy's parents were friends with them. That's how Annabeth met Percy when she was 10. They didn't get along too well then. Luke was with her for a year before her dad told the King and he took her in. Luke was also her first crush but he was the one who insisted her to go to the palace.

 _Wait.. King_ _Poseidon took her in._

She soon fit in with the architecture department and Athena took an interest in her. That's how she met Malcom. They weren't really brothers and sisters but everyone said that because of their facial similarities and eventually they got used to the idea too. Befriending Percy happened a year later when Annabeth was 12 and she introduced the game 'Capture the flag' to a few people and Percy one day came in saying he wanted to play too.

Annabeth used to wonder if she could ever forgive her father for abandoning her like that. She used to blame everything on him before Percy thought her to forgive him and let go. She still remains in contact with him but her real family, if any, is here, with her friends and the architecture department.

"... So... Selection huh?" asks Luke.

"Yeah.." Annabeth looks down. "I was the replacement for Mischelle"

Hazel, Frank, and Will all came together just then and Luke puts back his face shield.

"What are you doing outside?", asks Will.

Annabeth shrugs, "Password."

"Oh you and I both know the password isn't for us.",says Hazel.

"Password"

"We're not saying it _Wise girl_ ", says Will..

"Red we three meet sea mirror six",says Frank.

"Good enough, get in", says Annabeth. Then she calls out, "PERCY DID YOU SLEEP IN THE SHOWER?"

Jason puts one hand on Annabeth's shoulder suddenly and she jumps. "Jeez Annabeth, we want Percy to hear that. Not the whole floor. Fail we three meet sea mirror 6."

The stoll brothers, Leo, Charles and Selena come after him.

"Let me guess, this one refused to say the password" says Connor.

Annabeth nods. Travis bends down to whisper something to Annabeth, "When Percy comes back, tell this..." She grins.

Just then, Percy comes out dressed in his sweatshirt and sweatpants and Leo points to Travis and Annabeth,"TREASON!!"

Travis grins at Percy then bends down, lifts Annabeth bridal style and brings her inside. Annabeth laughs. Percy glares. "Don't worry Percy, she'll tell you the password now"

He drops Annabeth on the couch and everybody get in. "Lock the door guys"

Jason turns to the guards. "When it is 9, you can leave. Leo and I are incharge for night shift"

Annabeth looks at Percy. "Once Percy wore his swim suit to the beach..."

"Okay, I get it, it is enough", says Percy.

Everyone laugh.

They all sit down on the floor in a circle. "You guys got transferred and didn't even tell me?", Percy asks the Stolls.

Connor: "You were so busy man, we thought you'd come to know anyway"

Will: "They got transferred to your dad Percy. His guards went on promotion remember?"

Percy: "When I said assign only trusted guards, I didn't mean my own"

Someone knocks on the door. "YES", shouts Percy. "OPEN IT"

Luke opens the door to reveal Grover who is carrying several bags, "He claims he is invi--"

Grover: "Percy looks jaw-dropping in swimsuits!! I said it !! Guys, you can't start the meeting without me! I bring the food!"

Jason : "Goat boy, you're the only one who said the password that is why guards are confused."

Annabeth and Percy together: "Let him in"

Percy turns to Annabeth: "It is my room!"

Annabeth: "You told me to be in charge!"

Conner : "Grover, you do realise the password was only meant for Annabeth, right?"

"Really?",he asks as he sits down and the door closes again. "Well okay, I brought pizzas"

Silena: "hooo! Finally!", She digs in.

Will: "Lets play before we start."

Leo: "How about arm wrestling? It has been a while."

Jason: "Arm wrestling with girls really?"

Annabeth: "Hey!"

Frank: "Who is first?"

Connor: "Lets do a boys only tournament. Girls as judges because there are exactly three of you."

Travis:" Yeah we'll tell you the rewards later. Start NOW. "

Hazel: "Connor VS Travis. "  
Silena: "Percy VS Will."  
Annabeth: "Charles VS Jason". (They all say together)

They look at each other and agree. "CONNOR VS TRAVIS"

Connor: "This is what you get when you have a twin. "

Percy brings up a small pile of books because they don't have a good rough surface to play on. Connor and Travis face each other, both stretching before starting the game. For two minutes, no one wins. Connor pinches Travis and Travis calls a foul but Connor wins.

They play a few more rounds before only Percy and Jason are left.

Travis: "Here is your game. Getting to carry Annabeth across this hallway once."

Leo chirps up,"Ohh that's a game"

Annabeth: "Hey why should it be me?"

Percy: "Because you are heavy Wise girl".

Annabeth glares at Percy.

Connor and Travis smile at each other.

Here is the thing. Percy purposefully loses by saying something bit him but when Jason claims victory he doesn't protest much. Well.... untill Connor and Travis tell them that Jason has to carry Annabeth now and everyone starts smirking (except Jason, Percy and Annabeth).

Jason: "I won guys. Why am I being punished?"

Leo: " Jason the reward was GETTING to carry Annabeth. You should have lost"

Leo, now grinning : "TREASON part 2"

Percy: "But it wasn't even a fair fight. Let us do a rematch"

Will: "That won't work because both of you will play to lose then"

Grover: "Let us make it fair and let him carry the heaviest girl", Percy rolls his eyes.

Percy: "Annabeth is bigger in overall proportion, of course she is the heaviest! That is not fair game!"

Annabeth glares at Percy part 2.

Leo: "We need a neutral judge. Grover, Will and I aren't the strongest. The Stolls would cheat. So, Frank will attempt carry each of them and tell us who is the heaviest."

Frank: "Why am I being brought into this?", but he does it and needless to say, Annabeth is the heaviest.

Jason: "Guys we have a problem here."

Silena says to Charles who grins: "Besides someone murdering him for it?"

Charles: "Don't whine. You won. Now do it" but he is smiling.

Jason: "But Annabeth is wearing shorts. How do you expect me to carry her over my shoulders? I can't bruise her thighs!"

Connor and Travis answer together like they've prepared for this. "Then carry her like Travis carried her inside"

Jason blushes and looks at Percy who looks visibly mad.

Percy: "You carried her for a second! He has to carry her through the entire hallway!"

Will: "Oh shut it, you lost"

Jason: "Whose reward is this?"

Everyone except Jason, Annabeth and Percy laugh. "Ours."

Annabeth and Jason stand on one side of the hallway with Connor. Travis stands on the other end, near Annabeth's room, to confirm if he really reached the end. Everyone else mainly stands next to Percy's room, planning to walk the distance with Jason. The hallway is a good 150 meters wide and they're on the shorter side of the L-shaped hallway.

Jason gets permission to rest in between but he must complete it.

Luke and Ethan are completely clueless when Jason carries Annabeth in his arms and positions her so her weight is mainly felt on his chest. Annabeth wraps one hands around Jason's back.

Jason: "You aren't that heavy", he starts walking.

Annabeth: "Just get over with it"

Percy grits his teeth and glares holds into Jason's head.

Everyone else seem to be interested more in Percy's reaction than the punishment but Annabeth remains clueless.

Connor: "Guys next password is 'TIARA GIVES BOOK TO SPARKY', vote please."

Everyone but Percy and Jason raise their hands. Percy takes his eyes off Jason and glares at Connor to which he laughs.

Connor: "Legislation passed on majority."

Leo, standing between Luke and Percy, "Guys this is Percy's one golden chance to git rid of Jason for life"

Frank: "Don't give him ideas, he might just do it."

Hazel to Silena, grinning: "Wanna bet on Ichor's next queen?"

Charles: "Don't. It is a losing bet"

Will to Frank, both grinning: "What do you say? We just motivated Percy to qualify Annabeth to the Elite, right?"

 **[A/N: EVERYONE IS GRINNING SMIRKING AND LOOKING AT** **PERCY** **. I AM FED UP OF MENTIONING IT]**

Grover : " We may have just motivated him to propose her already"

Silena: "These two are taking things too slow. I'm bored of waiting"

Even if Percy hears to any of their conversations, his mind zones him out. All he can see is how Jason is proving his strength to her and he HATES it.

About 100 meters in, Jason puts Annabeth down on her feet.

Percy feels like he can breathe again.

Then Jason says a quick sorry, goes in front of her and throws Annabeth over his shoulders, hands tightly holding on to her exposed thighs.

Percy looks so much like he wants to stab Jason to death that they decide to stop the punishment at 130 meters.

Annabeth snakes one hand on Jason's shoulders as Jason pales and everyone else watch in amusement, "Don't beat yourself Jason, you did really well."

Jason takes her arms out and positions her in front so Percy first sees her and not him. "Thank you so much but I also don't want to die young."

........................

_Afterwards, while eating in Percy's room...._

Usually Percy is the one being shy and refusing to sit near Annabeth. He instead sits right opposite to her. ( _Because that way it is easier to actually see her_ , his mind argues). Today, he not just sits next to her but also puts an arm around her shoulder somewhere between the conversations.

Everyone else look to each other to smirk but Jason and Silena find it weird so they wonder if Percy is okay.

Jason: "Man, are you sure you're alright?"

Travis, grinning: "Yeah you look a little out of it Percy"

Percy sighs. "I told the Selected today that whoever's chairs aren't present tomorrow will be eliminated."

Leo: "Why does it matter how you eliminate? It was already planned right?"

Percy rubs his eyes. "I told that because I don't even know who I am going to eliminate yet.", He looks to Annabeth. "Any inside info on the girls?"

Annabeth: "They're okay I guess. I don't really know them yet. Piper is good with me though."

Hazel: "Okay Annabeth? They were trolling you!". Percy raises his eyebrows.

Annabeth: "Well what did you expect? The guy they're trying to get close to happens to be my best friend and I also happen to be in the 'competition' "

Travis smirks. "There is no competition here Annabeth. Don't you worry too much"

Leo : "Did something happen between you two?" He gestures to Percy and Annabeth.

They both blush and put distance between themselves. Percy speaks up, "Nothing like that"

 _Nothing?_ (Annabeth thinks)

Jason: "Okay so you don't know who you are going to eliminate. Just think back to what vibes they gave you Jackson. First impressions"

Percy: "I don't think I can concentrate on the Selection till the military problems get over"

Charles: "That could take weeks"

Percy: "Exactly"

Silena: "Percy you can't let one part of you life affect the other parts. When you are with your friends, you enjoy. In meetings, you work. With Selected, you go on dates. Take things simple. Don't mix them. Keep them in different parts of your brain"

Hazel: "Follow your heart Percy. Who didn't give you a good feeling?"

Percy: "Well... I don't really remember anyone's names now but one of them was really rude. Dionysis level rude"

Grover: "One down, few more to go... How many are you eliminating?"

Percy: "At least 6"

Conner: "I don't know man, I can't see why you are thinking so much into everything. Sometimes just trust your instincts", he says it to Percy but looks at Annabeth.

Frank: "Tell us other incidents that stand out."

........

Next day, Willow informs that none of the royals would join them for breakfast. They should go to the dinning hall and if their seat isn't removed then they should eat without waiting for anyone.

Annabeth wore a violet dress that day and stood at the stairs for at least 15 minutes while she saw girls go in one by one from above. She saw few of them thrashing out at the other girls or crying. The more she stood there watching, the more she became nervous.

_I'm keeping you._

She finally gets enough courage to go in and sees Calypso sitting in between two girls. For a minute, her fears rise and she really thinks she was eliminated.

Piper beams at her though and points to the seat opposite to Calypso.

 _23_.

_He didn't eliminate me afterall._

_He gave us a chance._

And just like that, they were the Privileged now.

_Top 25._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is ... FIRST ELIMINATIONS!!
> 
> And Percabeth hasn't kissed yet. 
> 
> Ah.. that's a clue, you just wait for it. ;-) ^_^ ^_^
> 
> Oh and I forgot to ask, any theories on Luke yet? What about the gang?
> 
> COMMENT! I'M WAITING FOR YA!


	6. "A kiss?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay we're Privileged now!!

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**“Nothing brings on jealousy like happiness and laughter.”**

**\- Anonymous.**

**“Insecure people only eclipse your sun because they’re jealous of your daylight and tired of their dark, starless nights.”  
― Shannon L. Alder**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

After breakfast, Percy was walking in the gardens, reading his next meeting's details when someone hit him real hard on the back. Alarmed, he almost judo flipped the person but at the last minute, he realised it was Annabeth.

She had, without permission, decided she wanted a piggy back ride.

_Um... Since when does Annabeth giggle?_

He looked towards his guards who were probably even more alarmed than him. "It's alright everyone. She's green."

They relaxed.

"I am a little busy, Wise Girl."

"Hmm", she said right into his ear, "I see that."

_What th--_

_Percy found it hard to concentrate on the papers._

"So.. wassup?" She asked.

Annabeth slipped a little from her hold and Percy had to adjust her back on his hips and bend a little to keep balance.

"You petrified the guards here to ask that?"

"Why? Can I not annoy my best friend every once in a while? Why do your guards keep changing? Where is the security in that?"

"Promotions. It is secure. And I think I got annoyed enough for the week yesterday."

She put her head between his neck and shoulders. Percy went back to reading. Annabeth must be thinking because after about 5 minutes, she suddenly breathed out in a way that sent a tingling feeling down his spine.

_Oh Gods._

"Okayyy, get down."

Annabeth pouted, actually POUTED, before getting down. Percy wondered what happened. "Are you drunk?"

She hit Percy and the guards got tensed again. "Aw." The guards looked like they wanted to intercept. "She's still green." He said.

She said cheerfully, "Even if I stab you, I'm still green."

"You say that like you mean it!"

"Don't test me." She said in mock seriousness.

"Okay." He turned to the guards. "No, If she stabs me she isn't green."

"Give me that." She snatched the papers in his hand.

Percy got alarmed, "Wise Girl there are some things I can't show you. Please don't --"

The guards beat him to it. One immediately grabbed Annabeth's both hands and cross twisted them. Annabeth stepped on his toes, surprising him and freeing herself.

_Anger raged in his veins. You DID NOT just touch --_

_Calm down, he is new._

Percy frowned, "You will not use force on women unless I explicitly say so. Understood?"

He immediately let go and did a low bow in apology. Percy sighed, "There is no need to apologize. I'll tell you my rules the first week. If you forget them later then apologize."

The guard nodded.

Annabeth turned to the guard, "Rule number one: speak up"

He smiled."But seriously Annabeth, I can't show you these."

She swat his arms away, "It's not like we haven't done things we aren't supposed to do before."

Percy mentally face palmed himself. Why did she put it in those words? He found the guards staring at him.

_It is not what you think it is._

They reached inside the palace and it is a good two minutes before Percy realised what was wrong.

One of the guards spoke up, "Is that rock music?"

He looked at Annabeth. "Thalia?"

"No way."

They all rushed to the Selected rooms, only to find Thalia coming out of hers.

Percy felt angry, "What did you do?"

"I'm sorry Prince Percy. I don't know how this happened. I was just playing music in my room and --"

Miss. Willow came in their view just then. "What is going on here? Why do I hear your horrible music playing all across the palace? Shut it Lady!"

"I already did. I even took the plugs out. It just doesn't stop!"

Willow looked mad, "Activities like this will not be tolerated according to Selection rules. Do you want to be eliminated?"

Percy spoke up, "That's enough Miss. Willow. Let us first get our facts straight before accusing anyone." He turned to his guards. "Please bring Leo to the controls room. He should be able to handle this."

All the guards moved in different directions.

Jason came over just then. "Man, am I hearing things or is this really happening?" He looked like in the verge of uncontrollable laugher.

Miss. Willow turned to Jason, "This isn't funny, Guard"

Percy turned to her, "You will not tell my bro what's funny and what's not."

Jason scowled, "My name is Jason. Not Guard. And for your information, I am Head Guard." His expression doesn't last though.

Percy raised his eyebrows, "Jason don't make me laugh."

Annabeth hit them both on the stomach.

"Aw, What was that --"

Willow interrupted, "Lady Annabeth you DID NOT just hit the Prince. Do you realise how disresp--"

_Not this again._

Percy groaned, "Miss. Willow, if you notice.. these two standing here are Green. I am the Prince. Thalia is Selected. YOU are intruding in a private conversation." He gestured around and pointed to a distance, "So please stay at least 10 meters away according to YOUR rules."

Annabeth's eyes twinkled.

"Go tell the Selected that there is nothing to worry about." He said.

After Willow left, Annabeth and Thalia openly laughed. Jason hit Annabeth on the stomach.

Percy saw, "Hey!" He scowled.

"What? There is no gender bias in this gang. Nope. Not again."

He rolled his eyes and laughed.

Annabeth spoke up, "Different directions? Lets find them."

Thalia catched up, "Find who?"

"Can't do that. At least one guard needs to be with Percy." Said Jason.

"Okay then. Strategy. Where are they?"

Thalia interrupted, "Who?"

"Not in the guard's lodge. I was just there."

"Not gardens." Said Percy, "We came from there."

Annabeth replied, "I vote for the main rooms. They must be controlling it somewhere."

Percy nodded, "Thalia, you said that you plugged out everything right?" She nodded, "They must be using some sort of wireless technology."

"Who?"

Annabeth grabbed her hand, "I'll show you who. Percy and Jason approach from left side. Me and Thalia will clear right."

Percy chuckled, "Bad plan. You're both Selected. Can't go to the main room without one of us."

They climbed up the stairs to the main room after agreeing that Annabeth and Percy would team up (Because, quote, _She has the same training as guards anyway_ ). Thalia and Jason clear the right.

Annabeth pressed herself shoulder to shoulder against Percy. "Stay close, they're expecting us."

Percy nodded, "You thinking what I am thinking?"

"I am thinking only one of them is here. What are you thinking?"

"The other is on the right side. Wanna bet who?"

Annabeth looked at him, "Chance bet huh? I bet shorter. What's the price?"

Percy got playful and wrapped one arm around her waist. "A kiss?" He asked.

_Say yes._

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, "Okay doofus. You're on." **(Note how she says doofus here)**

They went in room after room, stealthy, to find the culprit. At last, in the room right next to the main room, someone ran out when they were searching.

Annabeth chased **(Hey note the pun 😂😂)** him out with Percy right on her heels. Unfortunately, he ran into the main room. Fortunately, Jason and Thalia had already catched the other one and brought him to his knees. One of Percy's guard was with Leo who grumpily stole **(Hey note the pun again)** controls from both brothers and finally shut down the rock music.

Leo grunted, "You idiots will not let a nice guy sleep."

Thalia asked. "Who are they?"

They got up and both bowed together. "Meet the stoll brothers. They pointed to each other. This is Connor and Travis stoll presenting you the new Marauders' Map. To the castle unfortunately, not Hogwarts." They said in unison.

One turns to another, "I hear there are seven secret passages."

"What?" Asked Jason.

"Anyway", They spoke in unison again, "Mischief managed."

Percy shook his head, "You guys are gonna be in trouble for this."

"Oh we always considered our talents outside the academic fields. Why thank you!" Said Connor.

Thalia spoke up, "What are you saying?"

They looked at each other. "References."

Percy didn't have a clue what they were talking about but he rolled his eyes. "I don't care. Who did we find?"

Travis frowned, "Huh? Both of us?"

Annabeth cleared it. "No, he means which one of you did we chase. Him and me."

Jason interrupted, "Why is that important?"

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other but the Stoll brothers responded, "Oh you didn't bet on us, did you?"

They quickly circled each other and sat down. Their only difference was height but when they sit down, they come to the same length approximately. There was no way anyone could differentiate them.

Percy sighed, "Come on guys, don't be kids."

The right one spoke. "What's the bet?"

Jason and Thalia sat down too.

Thalia spoke up, "Yeah, What's the bet Annie?"

Annabeth looked around and looked up at Percy. Leo suddenly got excited, "Don't tell me!"

She sighed, "A kiss." She sat down. Percy followed.

Everyone went "Oooo" but Percy was looking at Thalia. "Thalia, if you're uncomfortable with it then we won't." He said seriously.

_She was Selected too. He didn't think kissing one in front of another was a good idea._

But Thalia smiled teasingly and crossed her legs, "Oh no. You two are not getting away with this that easily. Who bet who?"

Jason said, "If you say that these two will manipulate the result." He gestured to the brothers.

They shrugged.

Annabeth and Percy both looked at each other before saying, "Connor."

Then they both turned to each other to say, "No, I said Connor."

Simultaneously : "He said Travis" , "She said Travis".

The brothers frowned. "Okay shut up."

Thalia asked Jason, "What do you say?"

"Percy always loses. So maybe Annabeth this time?"

"I think the Prince will lose."

Leo interrupted, "Cut the titles. Nobody here calls him Prince."

Percy nodded to Thalia, "You can call me Percy as long as too many people aren't around."

Thalia gestured around. "Is this not considered too many people?"

Annabeth shook her head, "This is the gang. Gang isn't considered people."

Right one spoke up, "Guys... We have a bet in hand.."

Leo asked, "Yeah, who won?"

The brothers looked at each other and a silent understanding seemed to pass. They said in unison, "The one who really said Connor lost."

Percy started smirking but so did the Stoll brothers.

_They're actually happy for me?_

_Na, they're teasing Annabeth._

Percy got up and dragged Annabeth with him. "Wise Girl..."

Annabeth shook her head and laughed. "Okay okay"

She held his jaws in place and planted a smooch...

On his cheeks.

Percy protested, "Hey no that's not --"

Everyone else start laughing and in lightning speed, each brother puts an arm around him.

Connor asked, "What was the bet, Percy?"

"A kiss", he said.

Travis nodded, "Bet fulfilled, now don't you have meetings to attend?"

"Yeah but--"

Connor said, "Think bro. If she actually kissed you. What makes the difference between who wins and who loses?"

Thalia got up, "That's a good point." But she was smirking too.

Travis said, "This is why you should be very specific when you make bets. You should have planned what will happen if it ends in a draw too."

Percy sighed. "Copy that." He smirked, "Well Jason, can you take these two to my mom?"

"What?" They said in unison.

Annabeth smiled, "You pulled a prank. Now pay."

Travis started, "Man seriously, don't take this to your heart --"

Percy raised one eyebrow. "I'm not. I'm just busy. Jason take them --"

"Ah, I might need a hand. Not sure I can manage both."

Thalia said, "I'll go with him. I can't see these parts of the castle otherwise and I'm honestly bored of sitting in my room." She turned to Percy, "Is that okay?"

"Yeah okay."

Annabeth turned to Leo. "You done with everything?"

"Yeah it was just some Bluetooth connections. Not too hard once you have the controls. It's all back to normal boring sleepy music now."

Percy turned to Annabeth, "I'll drop you and tell Willow that Thalia has permission around for today." He turns to Thalia, "You have permission around for the day but avoid going to the next building."

She nodded, "Cool." Jason, the Stolls and Thalia leave.

He then turned to Leo, "Hey man, let's go. I'm running late."

"What? No way! I'm not third wheeling you two. Take the freshman." He pointed to the guard standing next to the door.

When Percy looked at him, he bowed his head slightly.

He sighed. _I wish I had guards that beat me around. Like the Stolls. Like Jason. Like Leo and Frank._

When they reach the second floor, Percy realised that Annabeth was suddenly too quiet. So he locked their hands and asked, "What is it?"

"I'm glad you didn't eliminate me." she said.

_Ah. Right._

Percy smiled. "Me too." He kissed her on her forehead. "See you later, yeah?"

After Annabeth left, the guard asked. "Is she one of the Selected?"

"Yeah. She is also my best friend."

"Oh yes. Lady Annabeth. I've heard." He said.

Percy frowned, "You've heard?"

"Luke told us about her, your highness. Is she your favourite?"

_What the--_

Percy looked pointedly at the guard. "I know she said speak up but don't push it."

He nodded.

_Why exactly is Luke telling people about Annabeth now?_

.......................

Annabeth was sitting with the other Privileged before lunch.

"You are a witch", said Drew looking at Annabeth.

Annabeth was lost. Drew hadn't been rude to her before, why was she now?, "Excuse me?"

"You heard her, what did you say to Percy huh? Using your friendship to eliminate people now? You want the throne, don't you?", asked Katie.

_Katie now? What happened?_

"Katie, not you too, you don't seriously think that do you?", asked piper, "If there is anyone here who is genuinely only in it for the Prince then it is Annabeth."

Drew scoffed.

"What happened?", asked Annabeth.

Piper rolled her eyes at Drew. "Some idiots think that you got Marcy Hills and few others eliminated. Marcy Hills mainly."

"Which she did", said Drew.

Calypso was looking stern next to Annabeth. "Prince Percy eliminated 10 people. You can't point fingers at everyone just because random facts connect. I say she was probably being rude in general", then she turned to Annabeth, "but that said, Prince Percy eliminated 10 people and it hasn't even been a week yet. I wonder why."

Annabeth frowned at her. "What are you implying?"

"Nothing"

Piper came forward, "Whose side are you on?"

"No one's"

Drew opened her mouth, "She's on our side. What are you gonna do now Annie? Threaten her?"

Cassy interrupted, "Guys, anyone realise Marcy was the one who told off that maid?"

Rachel joined the conversation, "Which maid? We see like a hundred everyday."

Cassy replieed, "The one who Annabeth called her friend."

All eyes narrowed on Annabeth.

_Hazel didn't tell Percy anything did she?_

_She couldn't have.._

Drew started, "Did you two make some sort of pact? Find the losers and report to Prince?"

Calypso ignored her, "Whose maid is she?"

No one answered.

Rachel started, "Come on, you know we'll find out eventually. Between all of us we have like 60 maids at least."

Tracy clapped Annabeth on her back, "This one will tell us. Whose maid is she Bethie?"

She doesn't answer.

Piper got curious too, "Do you not know or..?"

Annabeth sighed. "She is not a maid --"

Drew gestured to everyone, "Who do you think you are lying to?"

"-- she is Prince Percy's personal stylist."

Suddenly everyone went silent.

Piper talked again. "Stella was the one who trolled Annabeth anyway and she is still on the table."

Tracy said in anger, "Maybe this was her way of warning us. Real low though, eliminating an eight. Must have been easy for you, right?" Something seems to flash in her eyes.

"What? I didn't even know she was an eight. Why would I care about caste here? If we leave, we leave here as twos anyway"

"Does that make it easier for you then? Do you find it as some twisted sort of mercy because you're gonna get him in the end anyways?", she retorted.

_WHAT?_

Annabeth's face twisted in anger. "WHAT KIND OF A PERSON DO YOU SERIOUSLY THINK I AM?", she challenged, voice absolutely not lady like and words filled with venom.

She doesn't see Miss.Willow staring at her.

"I'm the one who persuaded Percy to persuade Queen Sally to sign the EE & FLTW schemes in between war situation on east wings eight years ago!"

Tracy looked taken aback. "You--You did?"

Drew rolled her eyes. "What crap are you making up now Annie? What the hell is EFW- ah, whatever... Some idiotc scheme doesn't change what you are now."

Thalia defended Annabeth. "It is the Equal Education AND Fair Land Taxes and Work scheme. AND IT IS NOT STUPID. Of course YOU won't care about something like this being a two."

Tracy looked down, "EE scheme is the reason my brother and I could complete school. We were broke. We couldn't afford schools. FLTW is the reason my brother has work now. We lost our parents in the war", she looks at Annabeth, "Can you tell me one line from any of the schemes?"

Piper said,"Tracy that was years ago, how do you expect her to remember something like that?"

But Annabeth had already started speaking. "EE's head statement is 'Whether born a royal, priest, noble, guard, farmer, miner, worker or not, Whether born in hands of the rich and influential or the poor and needy, Whether interested in Arts, Science, Language or History --"

Clarisse finished, "-- Born in this land, you are entitled a choice path for thee. My gosh, you really aren't kidding, are you?"

Almost everyone at the table glanced at Annabeth some in disbelief, some in awe, some in surprise and some in vengeance.

______________

Later during lunch,

Queen addressed them, "Congratulations on making it to the Privileged. The ordered seating pattern is only for the day. Eliminated will be leaving today. Miss. Willow will inform you about the changes in the routine."

Miss. Willow continued, "Etiquette classes will start now that you are in the top 25. You will be tested on history, etiquette and strategic thinking. The next elimination will not be for another three weeks --", some girls let out a breath at that," -- but those who are not able to cope up with the pressures of her majesty's life will slowly be eliminated overtime. Although you are now The Privileged, you will still be referred to as The Selected by many so do not take any offence on that. "

The maids started placing the food when Jason came inside the room and bowed, "My apologies for interrupting, Perc--Prince, --", both Tyson and Percy looked, "Lady Athena told me that she is expecting the construction report back. She told she needs to make a decision by evening." He passed a file to Percy.

_Shit, I forgot._

Percy's eyes widened and he put a hand on his forehead,"Shi--, Ahem...okay. I'll take care of it", he nodded to him and turned to Rachel, "Lady Rachel, please exchange seats with Lady Annabeth."

Everybody stared as they exchange seats. Sally and Estelle were sitting in between Percy and Annabeth. Percy passed the file to Annabeth. " That's the reason and reconstruction project for the collapsed bridge. Council Woman Athena marked the points that need to be verified by you...", he looked around.

"I get it. I'll do it as soon as I get to my room."

He looked at his family. "Actually... Will it be okay if she does it now? Athena is a harsh critic, she won't take the delay lightly", he looked apologetic.

Percy's grandpa who is the eldest royal looked at him,"Where is my Percy who used to have food fights in the royal dinner?", Percy blushed,"Honestly Percy, you thought we'd be mad?"

"Well it isn't exactly a normal day for us..."

 _Since selection started._ But he chose to skip that part.

Annabeth looked at Paul for confirmation and he nodded. She opened the file and started reading the plan. "Why does this start directly with the materials. Where is the sketch?", she asked Percy.

"Ah... I think I shoved it in-between...",he scratched his neck.

Annabeth shook her head at him and started searching. All the Selected stared at Annabeth.

"Okay Ladies. Why don't we do foods today? Percy, I like anything blue but I love my mom's blue pancakes most. Oh yeah, skip 23--", he gestured to Annabeth, "22 please"

Around five minutes later, Annabeth interrupted the conversation,"Prince, the numbers don't make sense. Using only 7000 tons of steel isn't strong enough, the tensile strength doesn't match, then there is atmospheric pressure and bending effects --"

Percy looked blank, "Translation requi-"

King Paul interrupted, "Percy why don't you sit next to Lady Annabeth and discuss it in silence. Let us talk to the ladies."

_Can I?_

Percy took one look at his father and all the Selected then nodded. He shifted seats and plates with Estelle and made space in between his and Annabeth's plate to keep the file.

Around 5 minutes into the conversation, Percy realised that Annabeth doesn't expect him answer at all. The he noticed her empty plate and decided he'd at least fill it. He noticed several eyes on him but he kept his mind on doing something for the sake of sitting there at least.

After he wass done, he called Annabeth and asked her to eat before starting to eat himself. He joins in on the table conversations again and talks to a few girls.

After about 10 more minutes, he realised that Annabeth hadn't started eating yet. "Lady Annabeth, please eat" He took a piece of carrot and brought it to her lips as everyone else stared.

Annabeth noticed nothing though. She just took it from him and ate it wordlessly.

Rachel picked up a conversation with him and he figured Annabeth wants some alone time anyway. So he talked to her about her paintings and interests and a few more join in the conversation.

He felt closer to the girls now that he is actually sitting with them.

Annabeth must have finished her carrots because Percy saw her taking his.

_Um... The Selected are staring, aren't they?_

Miranda and Edward looked at him teasingly while Sally raised her eyebrows. He shrugged. **(Haha I was writing this thing and mom suddenly kept carrots in front of me and boom! Idea!)**

He noticed subtle flirty comments but he decided to ignore it or dodge it. Another 10 minutes later when 4 girls got up together to leave, he noticed that one girl particularly is staring at him.

_No she is staring right at Annabeth._

Percy frowned and looked at her. He chuckled but it didn't have any mirth. Annabeth had maybe taken five spoons till now. "Wise girl seriously! Do you want me to feed you?"

_He realised his mistake too late._

Paul looked up at his comment and Sally's eyes were twinkling. Miranda and Edward are looking at each other like one just lost a bet to another. Tyson's look translates to _"Smooth brother"._

Estelle jumps in her seat, "Feed me!".

Annabeth blushed and looked at Percy.

_He just revealed her nickname to the entire Selected._

_Maybe they didn't really think it was a nickname but the comment itself is embarrassing enough._

She ate properly after that.

\----------------

Annabeth wasn't sure if it is all in her head or if Miss. Willow was really trying to find a fault, _one fault, any fault_ in her cutlery placement.

Their first lesson wasn't hard. Well... not for Annabeth who has seen and done it a million times now. They were given instructions on arrange a table in a formal diner. Annabeth knew in her heart that no matter if Willow rushed the lesson or just didn't care to correct her deliberate mistake when they were doing trial runs, that she would get it right. With everyone else learning or doing it for the first time, errors were bound to happen.

_Especially because of her slightly incomplete lesson._

Miss. Willow was staring at her arrangement for at least two minutes. They were placed in 5 X 5 rows and Annabeth somehow found herself at the centre.

Annabeth smiled sweetly at her and she walked to Piper muttering a "Hmm..".

After a while, when the session is done, she called Annabeth over.

"How long have you stayed in the palace Lady Annabeth?"

"Since I was 12. I have come here before it though."

"Hmm... And what can you tell me about the girls?"

"The girls? As in the Selected? I don't know them much to judge miss. All I know is that we don't really know everyone's story. People have their own reasons to do what they choose."

"No complaints?"

"Sometimes we are too competitive or jealous but I guess that much is expected out of the Selected", she chuckled.

"Why do you want to be in the Selection?"

"Percy. That's why."

"Elaborate"

"Percy is my best friend. I would be with him through anything. He would too. It is how we are. No matter the results", she said confidently.

"And what if he chose someone else?"

"I admit. It would break my heart. I can't keep away from him though. We'll go back to friends again. Eventually."

"Bit more honesty is welcome Annabeth. What do you see in Percy? He is nothing if you remove the Prince title"

Annabeth frowned. "What? What do you mean he is nothing without the Prince title? He is the most loyal, friendly, pure, just person I know. Oh... I forgot! Of course YOU don't see it because your eyes are covered with all the lies that media feeds you!"

"Dismissed"

"Huh?"

"I. Said. Dismissed"

Annabeth walked out still having a frown on her face.

Piper was waiting for her outside.

"What was that about?"

"No idea. Is it just me or is she extra spiteful to me?"

"I think that is because she sees potential in you", Piper wiggled her eyebrows. "Hey... I know this is a weird question to ask... But.. have you ever been on dates with Percy?"

"Percy? Huh? First name now?"

"Your influence"

"No. Never dates. I think we have done may things though, over the years. So shoot. What do you wanna know?"

_Annabeth thought she won't give others her ideas. She doesn't know what it is about Piper but she finds herself being open around her._

"How is he?"

"Meaning?"

"Is he nice? Is he flirty? Arrogant?"

"Hmm.. he is mostly nice. There is an arrogant side though. I think being a Prince in that authority figure does that to him. Tip, friendliness gets you past his arrogant side. He'll tease you once he is comfortable with you so I guess it can come off as flirting at times. Overall, he is fun."

"He sounds like a dream Prince."

_Sometimes._

"This is the part where I disconnect. I'm his best friend and going gaga for him hasn't exactly started yet."

Piper smirked, "Hasn't exactly started yet?"

"What? I'm also in the Selection. I'm allowed to gaga over the Prince!"

Jason came over just then. "Well look who we have here. The one who almost broke my arm because everyone was trying to get Percy jealous."

Piper froze where she was when Jason slowly takes her hand and kisses her knuckles. "I'm Jason Grace. Nice to meet you"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, it isn't treason for him"

Piper blushed.

Jason smirked ,"Definitely not when I have carried her all across the hallway in Percy's presence."

"Huh?"

"It was a game which was manipulated by the Stoll brothers", explained Jason.

"The who now?", asked Piper.

"Hmm.. what do you say Jason? Should we introduce her to the gang?"

Jason looked surprised. "You sure?"

"Let us start small", said Annabeth. "Come on, Piper! You have new people to meet."

.......

The easy way to let Piper get introduced to half the gang is to walk into the guards area. So Annabeth decides not to do that.

_Not just yet._

So they walk her to the garden to introduce her to Silena. Only, when they arrive, they realise that Charles, Leo and Percy are all there, chatting.

"What is the traitor doing with two of Percy's Selected?", asked Leo.

Jason replied, "Annabeth thought of introducing Piper to the gang"

Percy raised an eyebrow at Annabeth. "Really Wise girl? The last time you introduced someone to the gang was...", he trailed off.

"Never", Jason finished.

Percy stretched his hand out, "If you wanted to meet me, you just had to wait for a while. I'm planning on taking people on dates anyway", he winked at Piper who blushed.

Charles started,"How many times have we agreed on keeping the Selection out of the gang?"

Silena, "Is that even possible with the future King and Queen of Ichor right here denying feelings for each other?"

Percy ignored them, "--- But all things aside, I'm crown Prince Perceus Jackson of Ichor but I swear, if you ever call me Perceus, I'll never talk to you again"

Everyone but Piper said "Perceus"

Piper shook his hand and gestured between Percy and Annabeth. "Wise girl. That's a nickname then?"

"Yes and I call him Seaweed Brain--"

Percy cuts her, "For which she'll tell you the story later. Now if you excuse me, I have a report to attend", he sighed.

Percy started leaving and Annabeth followed. Once they're out of eyesight, she wordlessly intertlocked their fingers. Percy looked up. "It is gonna be fine okay? You are doing great", she got on her toes and kissed him on his forehead.

He sighed again,"What do I tell them?"

"That you were following your heart" She hugged him.

When Annabeth came back, everyone have finished introductions.

Leo whistled, "Something is going on between you two, isn't it? Any smoochy-smoochy action?", he made a kissing face.

Annabeth found it weird that Piper smirked at her.

_They are supposed to be competitive._

"What is happening is that Percy is about to announce to the entire world that he just eliminated 10 people in a week", said Annabeth.

"Oh, that can't be good."

"So guys, what do we have planned for the day? Jason shouldn't you be with Percy now?", asked Silena.

"Yes. I'm leaving. Leo, follow. I'll see you around Lady Piper"

Annabeth found that Piper was still a jittery around him.

Charles spoke up, "He is just messing with you. People find it very amusing to make each other flustered, jealous or angry here. Not to mention flirt with the Selected without being scolded by the Prince."

"Oh", she sounded disappointed.

Silena catched Annabeth's eyes and mouthed "ORANGE". Annabeth nodded.

Silena, "Come on girl, let us show you around the palace... well.. upto the second floor anyways"

Piper is a good friend. She doesn't get dramatic like others do. She doesn't get jealous either. She has never proven anytime before that she is a threat and to top it off, she was genuinely nice.

_But, orange, yeah. Just like Luke but that wasn't Annabeth's say._

She told herself that it was time to put the Selection behind and see Piper as her friend.

Later that day, Piper got asked to a date by Percy.

Percy's first date.

Annabeth tried not to sound too off when Piper insists they eat at the back and whisper screams the entire story to her. She replied with equal enthusiasm and doesn't let her smile flatter once.

 _Am_ _I being selfish here to want to be his first date?_

_Or am I just jealous and competitive?_

...............

Spoiler: Next chapter is gonna be interesting. Already finished it. ^_^ :-) ^_^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Any theories on Luke yet?
> 
> Hehe.
> 
> Don't forget to tell me your thoughts in the comments section.
> 
> See ya soon.
> 
> Next chapter will be out this tuesday.


	7. "How is that for strength?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the most interesting chapter yet!
> 
> BRACE YOURSELF.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**_“Have you ever been in love? Horrible, isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.”_ **

**_― Neil Gaiman_ **

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

**WORD** **OF CAUTION: This chapter contains an easter egg. So look for it while reading. I repeat, THIS chapter. And FYI, It is silly but a hard easter egg in THIS chapter. Easter egg from House of Hades. It is a concept,like a myth. Okay I've given too many clues.**

**I'll summarize all the clues I've given yet:  
1) The easter egg is in #THIS chapter. (This clue has more meaning than you think. Why do you think I keep pointing it out?.)  
2) The easter egg is said by one of the seven but not Percabeth in House of Hades.  
3) In the chapter, it isn't a line but the egg STARTS with something that HAPPENS.**

**T** wo weeks passed uneventfully.

Percy had a pattern. He skipped breakfast with the Selected, sat for lunch and skipped dinner on alternate days. When Piper got curious and asked why, Annabeth told her it was probably because of his busy schedule.

Untill it was too hard NOT to notice that at least one of the Selected didn't sit with them the same time Percy didn't. Piper pointed it out casually as a joke to how much he was dating but she shrugged it off saying he possibly couldn't have so much time after all those military meetings.

That... is untill Drew and Rachel missed one meal each.

Their schedule was busy too, with all the lessons on continuous repeat, day after day, so some girls like to take time off. It started with genuine reasons like dance practice but soon at least 2 were missing in every meal.

Few people never missed though: Like Annabeth, Piper, Rachel, Drew, Calypso and Amber for example. Annabeth wanted to but Piper didn't let her. They automatically got more attention from the Prince because they talked freely with him even in the table while most others needed their names or numbers called out to open up.

Annabeth never sat with Percy again and felt little disappointed everytime he found an excuse to sit closer to the girls. It came to a point where he just took Estelle's place before everyone else settled in and the royals left him alone, probably because they wanted him to mingle in the first place. He always made sure a different person was sitting next to him each time but it didn't matter much. The people he talked to more remain same no matter who he sat next to.

Oh and Piper!

Piper came to lunch the immediate next day and demanded again that they sat in the far end because, quote, "It is too early for me to not blush in front of him!".

Annabeth tried her best not to waver her smile and enthusiasm the entire time but she doubted Piper ever concentrated enough to see how Annabeth's expression really was.

The lessons went well for Annabeth, mainly because she had either heard or seen half the things before. She genuinely helped Piper whenever she did something wrong feeling that she should at least do this for being a terrible friend everytime they talked about Percy.

Next thursday, Annabeth was in room 23 with her maids who were trying to find the right dress for her, "J-Ju-Julia it", she gritted her teeth,"is too tight"

Crystal replied, "It is supposed to be. You've never worn a slimshaper before, have you?"

"I have! Just nothing like this!"

Annabeth sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a tight body shaper suit that started above her chest region and ended at her thighs. It had all kinds of measurements and adjustable straps. When she first put it on in the restroom, it had been lose and she didn't feel comfortable trusting lose undergarments but now it was too hard to breathe.

She felt too exposed standing like this in front of two girls who are adjusting the material to fit her perfectly. Her waist _did_ look smaller with all this but it was worth the effort? All for sitting in front of the camera?

 _At least it isn't transparent,_ she thought, and _it is black_ because if it were skin colour, one would have to take a double look to tell she wasn't naked.

"I am telling you, you should wear the stockings too, it completes the set", said Julia, still adjusting her chest line.

_Oh no._

_The stockings came with an actual_ _gartner_ _belt._

"Are you sure you're not just fitting me in a lingerie?"

Crystal looked straight at her. "That would be the easier option, yes"

Percy, the same Percy who hadn't said a word outside the gang and the meals found this particular moment the best time to walk in, unannounced, into her room.

He did it all confidently, "SURPRIS-", then he stopped, eyes wide. "What-what are.. are you wearing?"

Annabeth went as red as a tomato. The girls were too surprised to act fast. "PERCY WHAT THE HELL? GET OUT. EVER HEARD OF KNOCKING A GIRL'S DOOR?", when he stood frozen, she repeated, "GET. THE. HELL. OUT"

Oh did I forget to mention that her hair hadn't dried yet because she didn't want to use a blow drier?

Oh and I completely forgot to mention that she was completely naked underneath the tightly wrapping material.

Percy left and Annabeth turned to her maids. "YOU SERIOUSLY FORGOT TO LOCK THE DOOR??"

Julia, eyes wide from shock answered, "We didn't. The royals have keys to all of them"

Annabeth put her hands on her face and sat down on the bed. "Gosh! That was so embarrassing! Wait, are you telling me Percy just found it appropriate to open my door?? I could be DRESSING inside for god's sake!"

Crystal laughed, "Annabeth there is a reason why the closet is inside the bathroom. Have you ever dressed here before?"

"Why did we do this outside then?"

Julia smiled too, "Because the lighting is better here and more space too.", She sat on the bed, "Woah, that was really unexpected though."

Crystal laughed, "He came in the right time too. Before you just looked like you were wearing a black sack."

Julia got serious again. No matter how friendly she gets with Annabeth at times, she is the responsible one of three. "Shouldn't you go see him though? He is probably still shocked waiting outside", she smirked teasingly.

Annabeth blushed, "Okay let me get out of this first."

"Or...", Crystal smiled and put one hand on her shoulders, "You could just throw a jean and a top over this. He is wearing casuals too. You two could have your date and we'll set your dress ready by the time of the report."

"You don't know if it is a date."

Julia ignored her disappointing comment, "Yeah. You just took a bath too and it is already 12, it will be too late to do everything over again by 5. Then you need to have dinner and _Report_ is at 7 30."

Annabeth, not finding any fault in their logics except for their mischievous grins, agreed and put on a violet tee and half pants.

She swore she heard the two girls high-five and say something like "mission success" when she closed the door though.

__________________

Percy, on the other hand, was walking all across the hallway trying to figure out what he had just done.

_So Jason, your idea backfired even before it started._

He sat on the stairs, on the bridge between two floors when Annabeth opened her doors again, now fully dressed.

"Percy, come here you asshole."

He walked to her, low-key terrified. She grit her teeth and catched hold of his ears and twisted them. She spoke in a low tone which was even more terrifying."Is this how you treat your girls? Huh? Walking into their rooms randomly? You --"

Suddenly, they heard a door opening and Percy swiftly catched Annabeth by her waist and pinned her to the wall next to the staircase, pressing one finger to her lips.

Annabeth was momentarily flustered, her embarrassment from earlier was still in mind and their distance was too close to form a coherent sentence and remain angry now.

_His hand staying on her waist more than necessary wasn't helping either._

"Ooo, that was close, so... Surprise?",said Percy.

Annabeth stepped on his toes.

"Ow, what was that for!?"

She stared at him.

He pouted, "Fine, why haven't you dressed up yet? It is lunch time."

She stared at him, "Yeah genius that's what I was doing when you barged in."

He looked embarrassed. "You do _that_ everytime you dress up?"

"Gods, no. Want me to die?"

"Then why?"

She sighed, "It is what we are supposed to do everytime we dress up but usually all my dresses have high backs and shoulders so I don't. This is for the _Report_ _._ "

Percy didn't understand it but said, "oh"

She got out of his space, "Yeah, oh, now can you tell me what you're doing here?"

"Uh.. I just thought we... could hang out", he nodded his head as he said it.

"It is lunchtime."

"So?"

"You don't skip lunches."

He smiled like he was happy being caught red handed, "Nothing really gets past you, does it?", he waved his hand around, "Exception", he pointed up, "so can we?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well... we never got those things from your room, we could do that but before that I thought we could go to the library because... well..."

Percy thought: _Don't be this nervous idiot. You haven't even told her it is a date yet._

"Really?", Annabeth looked genuinely happy.

"Yeah, library first?"

When they entered the library, Percy was glad that everything was in place. It was vacated for them and a small dining table was set up, already having their favourite foods.

He sighed at the unnecessary candle addition to his casual date.

Annabeth stared at him. "Percy, is this a date? Did you seriously reserve the library for us?"

 _Say no._ He thought.

He scratched his neck unconsciously, "yeah?"

"Seaweed Brain you should have told me before!"

_Oh, sure, if only I could._

"Seriously!", she said, "I could have at least dressed up!"

Percy shook his head, "Please no, I have already dressed up 24 times. I want to do one casually."

Annabeth stared at him. " Wow 24", she said sarcastically,"I really am your last resort right?".

She said it like someone would say: _Hey, the weather is great_ and Percy felt that's trouble.

_Why didn't Jason ask me this question when we practiced?_

Percy lifted his shoulders in confusion, "I... I didn't know what to do, okay? I didn't have any ideas."

Now she just looked pissed, "Oh I don't know Percy, what did you do on your twenty four other dates then?"

"They don't know anything here. I showed them around. I can't do that for you. There isn't a single place you haven't been before."

 _And I was postponing asking you because I am a puppy_ but percy didn't say that.

Annabeth was angry. She didn't know why. She should be happy that they get to hang out like this, casually, formalities aside. First she thought maybe he considered that night where they ate together as a date. But now...

_Now it just sounds like an excuse._

"So you chose the library where I've been to the most?", he looked down at his feet, "You know what? Lets eat. I feel hungry."

_I don't but that is what I'll say for you._

They settled down for lunch which was basically cheap fast food and blueberry pancakes. The candles felt out of picture and their atmosphere was still awkward.

_Annabeth gets the hint that she should calm it down._

She asked softly, "candles, really?" and tried to chuckle.

Percy cringed, "That wasn't me. I can remove them if you want", he reached for it but Annabeth stopped him,"Na, it is okay.", she shrugged.

They were sitting on a regular sofa with the low circular table in front of them. Annabeth took a bite of her burger, "I don't understand the concept though. Are we supposed to stare at the bookshelves while eating?"

"No, I thought we could go around and pick whatever books you want while eating. I brought bags too. Well... usually you can borrow things only for a week but I requested in a month."

"Walk around and spill food on the library floor?", she clicked her tongue, "lets eat then walk."

Annabeth went to one side of the couch and stretched her legs so they rested on Percy's thighs. "So how was your week?"

"Meetings, fancy dates _._ Yours?"

"Lessons, fancy meals and friend gushing about her date", she made a fed up face.

"Piper?"

"Yeah. I think she really liked it", she smiled about it genuinely for the first time.

"Great. I took her to the greenhouse. She spent half the time just --"

"Looking around? Yeah I know. I don't think there is anything I don't know about that date.", she sighed.

Percy laughed,"She was really friendly. I guess out of them all she was the most friendly. Some were just too --"

_Stop talking about all your other dates, will you?_

"I mean overall I guess they were alright but some were flirty or touchy or --"

She cut him. "I get what you mean and for the record, she really is friendly. She isn't pretending. But well, she is already in the gang so"

_Better talk about her than everyone else._

Percy looked straight at her, "I know we introduced Thalia and Piper but just... they aren't in, okay? Just... Not yet."

_Annabeth understood the translation: Selection._

She nodded. "Well at least you don't have the pressure to eliminate anyone now. You can freely date."

Percy smirked, "Is that what we are doing?", he gestured in between them, "freely dating?"

Annabeth shrugged. "I am in the Selected. So technically, yes. Practically, I don't think anything changed."

He was suddenly reluctant. "Anything?"

She looked at the floor. "Well, we are still who we always were... Just... "

_Just I never realised how deep my feelings for you were and now I find out that you had it at some point too and I'm competing for you now and we have a wall of 24 people between us._

Percy nodded. "I get you. Nothing much has changed but... Is it weird? Things feel different."

"It is not weird Percy and bros before hoes, right?"

He smiled, "You are neither! Jason is my bro."

"I know", she got serious again, "I mean that we are friends before anything else. However things get, we'll handle it, okay?"

He nodded.

"So...", She elbowed Percy's sides, "has this doofus kissed anyone yet?"

Annabeth's mind was flaring _RED_ at her but she wanted to _know._

"No", he hesitated.

"Too bad. 24 dates and not a single kiss? Disappointing Percy.", but she was smiling.

Percy changed the topic, "WE SIX MEET I MIRROR TWO. I have free time now. The military problems finally look solved."

"That's after my curfew."

"I'll take care of that."

_______________________________

Percy left Annabeth in her room to collect everything she needed while he put the books from the library in room 23. Annabeth just finished packing all her sketches, laptop, etc in another bag when Percy came back in.

"Are you done?"

She held up her bag, "Yeah, this is everything". She wasn't facing him and before she could finish her sentence, he lifted her from the ground and carried her, bridal style, out of the room, kicking the door shut.

Annabeth laughed,"I thought this was a punishment."

"Mmm hmm."

Percy carried her all the way across the hallway and then down the stairs, which was even more than Jason could do and... he doesn't complain once, which made Annabeth's stomach stir with something she didn't know.

When they arrived at room 23, Percy took her in, kicked the door shut and pinned her to it.

It was clear this wasn't easy for him.

He smirked, "Now, how is that for strength?"

 _Percy smiled at her-that sarcastic, troublemaker smile that had annoyed her for years but eventually had become endearing. His sea-green eyes were as gorgeous up close. His dark_ _hair was swept to one side, like he'd just come from a walk on the beach_. **(A/N: This was the first guess as the easter egg but note that these lines are from Mark of Athena, not House of Hades)**

Annabeth couldn't take her eyes off of him. She was sure he said _something_ but it just... didn't reach her. It wasn't even like it was there one minute and then not...

Her mind literally failed to comprehend his sentence.

He saw her staring at him and it did something to his ego. He wasn't sure where the confidence came from but without thinking twice, without really _knowing_ the consequences of his action...

Percy kissed Annabeth.

.................

Annabeth would have stood there trying to figure out what her name was if her maids' angry voices didn't jar her back to reality.

Julia was out of her mind, "ANNABETH!! DID YOU EVEN SEE THE TIME??"

Crystal too, "Quick, undress, we even have to get your hair ready."

"Huh?.. oh yeah."

_If she concentrates, she could still feel it, even now._

Julia swung her hand in front of her face, "Hello Annabeth? Did you see a ghost?"

Crystal clapped her hand to her mouth,"Oh my gods!! You kissed him, didn't you?!!!"

"Huh? What... No..."

_Yes. Yum._

They smiled at each other, "She totally did!"

"How was it?"

"Huh?", she shook her head.

Crystal jumped, pulling Julia with her. "We should totally mark this date. What's today?"

Soon Annabeth found herself in front of large flashlights and focus cameras in the auditorium where a _Report_ was about to start.

Miss. Willow was guiding them through one last time, "... Remember everything that you know. Keep your postures poise and perfect. Don't speak unless spoken to. No funny expressions in front of the camera and for gods' sakes, don't look bored."

Annabeth was wearing a elegant off shoulder red mermaid dress today. Seeing everyone else, she _knows_ it is not too much but she _feels_ over-conscious. She noticed that Calypso and Drew's gangs have occupied the front seats so she sat in the far end with Piper and Thalia.

 _There was one upside though: She catched Percy staring at her and winked._ _She felt elated today and they both knew why._

_It was as if an unsaid secret passed between them everytime they made eye contact._

The _Report_ started with update on border tensions among other usual things. The royal families all spoke their parts and _finally..._ It was time for Selection.

Mr. Kim, "For our selection special, please welcome Apollo as our special guest."

Apollo came into the room from behind the curtains and quite a few girls swooned over him. Annabeth thought she saw Thalia sit a little more straight, finally paying attention.

"Thank you! Thank you! I'm your sunshine Apollo here to tease Prince Percy during his selection --", he smiled, showing his perfectly white teeth and bowed, "Oh and of course... here to bring you all the best scoops from his love life", he smirked at Percy.

Percy openly smiled at him. "Long time no see."

Apollo sat on a sofa which was placed in the centre with Royals on a bigger sofa to his left. A speaker's podium was placed right in front of the royal family and that was where they delivered speeches just minutes ago. To his right, the Selected were sitting on elegant wooden chairs, in three rows, each row slightly above the other in order to show everyone. Percy joined Apollo on his sofa for the interview.

"My apologies Prince, little busy with my career". Apollo was an actor and part time comedian. He was the perfect entertainer. "But.. we're more curious about your life than mine today so tell us!! How has the Selection been till now?"

Percy smiled teasingly, "It's been interesting."

_Annabeth has to try hard to NOT scoff._

"Ooo hear that everyone! Prince says 'interesting' ", he air quoted that, "Before we ask you more... Can we hear from your parents? Tell me your highness, has he been busy?", He wiggled his eyebrows at the camera and turned to the King.

"Yes, yes he _has_ been busy but I am in the dark just like you." said King Paul.

Sally, "He doesn't tell us anything!!"

Percy retorted, "Of course I don't! You keep teasing me with Wis --", he suddenly stopped.

_Annabeth's heart suddenly leaped out of her chest. What now?_

Piper's smile widened and she held her hand. Annabeth felt like burying herself. She can't believe Percy actually let something slip even after so much experience.

It doesn't matter if Apollo didn't get the reference.

_The Selected definitely did._

"Oh what did I hear? Is that a name? Your highness, do you have a favourite?"

Sally looked caught and she momentarily glanced at the Selected. Paul smiled. "We didn't meet anyone yet", he turned to Percy teasingly, "Percy hasn't brought anyone home."

Percy was abashed, "They're literally living with us!!"

Apollo cut him, "Did I see the Queen look at the upper row? Anyone whose name starts with 'Wi' here?", he pointed to the upper row.

No one said anything but Piper squeezed Annabeth's hand.

"No? Well, what a shame, that could have made headlines.."

 _No thank you_ , thought Annabeth.

He playfully faked excitement again and tapped Percy, "Let us make another headlines then. Have you spent time with everyone yet?"

Percy nodded, "Yes I have."

"How many are here... 25 dates?"

"More actually."

_What?_

Apollo raised his eyebrows, "Who are this lucky ones who got a double date?", he looked at Percy, "Maybe even triple dates?"

Percy put a soft cushion pillow on top of his legs, "No one actually. I went around doing introductions and first minute impressions before I went on dates. It was a common thing.... But I spent an entire day on it."

_Oh he meant that._

Apollo nodded, "Oh that's keeping things fair. So... These dates, what have you been doing?"

"I am showing them around the palace, gardens, rooftop dinners, things like that.."

 _Wow,_ thought Annabeth, _and you told me you didn't have ideas._

"Rooftop dinners huh? Romantic, romantic"

Percy blushed.

"Let's drop the big question now. Have you kissed anyone? Has anyone kissed you?"

_Oh god! Is Percy really going to say this? It hasn't even been a day. I'm not ready!_

Percy looked back at his family, sighed and said nonchalantly like he had practiced this, "Yes I've kissed someone and someone has kissed me too."

Even before Apollo could react, the Queen asked, "Who? And why do I get to know only now?"

Annabeth wanted to say: _Because it literally happened 4 hours back._

"Because mom! You react like that! That's why!!"

Tyson interrupted,"You're dodging the question, brother. Who is it?"

Annabeth looked at Percy trying to silently tell him that she didn't want everyone to know.

_Not yet._

Percy wasn't even looking at her. "Lady...", he smirked at Apollo's reaction.

_No. No. No. Please no._

Apollo threw his hands up, "Tell us! This is the most positive news we've had from a report for weeks!!"

Percy's smile faded at little but the camera and viewers can't tell, "Lady Rachel."

 _Huh? What_ _?_

_What the Hades?_

_Rachel?_

_Did Percy just lie?_

All the Selected gasp and Annabeth turned to look at the screen, to see Rachel's reaction. She was beaming and she looked elated.

_Not a lie then._

King Paul raised one eyebrow and Queen Sally was looking at Percy, eyebrows slightly turned in a silent question like: _Not_ _my OTP?_

That's when it hit Annabeth.

_I've kissed someone and someone has kissed me too -- TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE._

No one else seemed to catch on.

Annabeth couldn't stop the uncomfortable feeling that spread through her chest. She felt betrayed.

_Why didn't Percy tell me this?_

_Why did he lie?_

_At least, why did he not tell my name too?_

She felt angry. At what? She didn't know! The universe, maybe? Why did it bring new complications into their lives?

Apollo turned to the girls, "Can I know who here is Lady Rachel? Please, pass a mic. Tell us Rachel, is it true? Where did it happen? How was it?"

Annabeth can see jealousy and resentment on a few girls but Rachel was clearly in her own bubble, "Yes, it's true. It was short and sweet, in the gardens", she said, smiling.

Percy gave Rachel a small smile and if Annabeth saw through it, maybe she could tell he was faking it.

She didn't.

Apollo turned to the Prince again, "This isn't your first kiss, is it?"

Percy raised both eyebrows and looked pointedly at him but didn't answer. That look meant: _Edit this out._

Apollo, "Alright... very well, very formal, just like a true Prince. There you have it everyone. That's all for today. See you later on another _Report_ where we'll know more about the Selected. Goodnight!"

Annabeth wanted to confront Percy but as soon as the _Report_ endded, the royals left, not waiting for the Selected. They're stopped by Willow who pointed out mistakes made by them but Annabeth heard nothing. She missed her chance to talk to Percy.

Later she entered room 23 and Crystal and Julia bombarded her with questions.

"How was it?"

"Did you tell everyone that you kissed the Prince?!!"

"It doesn't air for free till tomorrow night! Tell us everything!!"

Annabeth sounded sad, "Guys, I really just wanna sleep now. Can you sleep in your rooms today?"

The maids don't usually stay with the Selected. They had their own space but... she loved their cheerful company so she requested them to stay with her and now.. she just wanted to be left alone.

 _Just another broken rule_ _,_ she thought.

_Another reason why I'm not Princess material._

_Because I make friends without looking at caste._

The discrimination based on caste system was prohibited years ago after continuous Rebel wars. It still existed though. The difference was no one could explicitly mention it anymore. It was now just another number.

Their kingdom, Ichor, chose the middle path between democracy and monarchy: A constitutional monarchy. However, more recently, there were protests and civil wars because people still claimed they were discriminated based on numbers.

Annabeth got that. It was the reason why the Prince cannot sit as equal with the guards or the maids. The difference is: Previously, all the rules were set and known. Now: it is invisible.

 _Invisible, not_ _non-existent_ _._

Part of reforms to bring peace and equality, a extended council and an elected mayor system was set up. They had elected parties who could influence royal decisions now. Ultimate power is divided between the extended council but the royals still had their say: Final decisions had to go through royals.

Annabeth sighed. She was suddenly sad about everything but it wasn't like she could climb one floor and confront Percy anyway. So, she put on PJs, deciding on sleep and that's when someone knocks on the door.

She opened the door to find a very cheerful Prince looking back at her. "Percy? What are you doing here?"

"What Annabeth? I told you.. the gang meet."

_Oh. I completely forgot._

"Oh... "

Percy's looked at her in mock accusation, "You forgot..", he grabbed hold her's wrist and shrugged, "Doesn't matter, I'm here to carry you over anyway", he smiled.

Annabeth tried to free her hand, "Let me at least change", she didn't want to sound harsh but she did.

Percy didn't notice, "What? Annabeth... it is just us, you know we're all good", he leaned over, crowding her space, "If you're thinking about impressing me you should know you already have. Today's dress fit you perfectly, I had a hard time not looking at you", he winked.

_All this and now he is flirting._

Annabeth should be blushing but she just felt irritated and yanked her arm out of his hold, "Let me change", she didn't wait for his answer before bolting to the bathroom closet and closing the door.

_I need to calm down. This isn't working._

She changed only her pants into jeans and stepped out, still irritated. Percy was sitting at the edge of her bed and looking at photographs sprawled on the bed. It was one of the things she had brought from her room. She was so busy that she didn't have time to keep them all inside. He pointed to one of the pictures, "Do you remember this?"

It was a picture of them in their teens. Percy, Annabeth and Grover were part of a play. The picture was of them sitting in a zoo truck with stuffed toy animals: a zebra, a albino lion, and some weird antelope (all in cages).

_Oh please no, I can't explain this now._

Percy laughed, "Gods that play was so awkward. They even named it 'Percy Jackson and the lightning thief' like some tribute. Why do you still have it?"

Annabeth's anger bursted out. "I DON'T KNOW PERCY!"

_He didn't think there is anything significant about it? It was the first time they actually talked, even if they were just saying pre-practiced lines._

Percy frowned, "Okay, something is wrong. What is it?"

"Why don't you tell me --"

"Annabeth.."

"--- No, wait, you'd just tell me lies.", she scowled.

Percy got up and tried to crowd her space but she just backed away, "What is this about?"

"What..", she was clearly irritated now, "Oh, I don't know why'd you not tell me Percy?"

"Not tell you what?"

"THAT YOU KISSED RACHEL!"

Percy looked stunned like he didn't know how to reply. Annabeth took one big step towards him and pointed at him accusingly, "WHY DID YOU LIE?"

Percy took a step back and spread his arms on either sides, "I didn't lie. You asked me if I kissed someone and I didn't. SHE KISSED ME!"

Annabeth lost control, "What difference does that make? You still kissed. Why didn't you tell me Percy? Like a real friend? When I asked you??"

Percy's expression suddenly turned guarded like how he was with people outside of the gang. Annabeth hated it.

He clutched his jaws and frowned coldly. "This is why."

Annabeth mirrored his expression, "What does that even mean?"

"This Annabeth --", he gestured around, "How you're reacting now. I knew it comes with you being Selected."

"What about us, Percy? About our friendship? We know each other better than our parents know us! I'M NOT MAD at you because you kissed her and I'm suddenly a jealous bitch. I'M NOT MAD at you because you kept secrets. I'M MAD AT YOU BECAUSE YOU LIED TO YOUR BEST FRIEND.", she pointed one finger to his chest.

She made him take a step back with every line. Now they're almost at the door, just one more step.

_If anyone else but them is listening, she doesn't have it in her to care._

Percy scowled, "Are you sure this is just the best friend Annabeth talking? Not even a little of Selected Annabeth? Because the last time I lied, I lied about things way shitter than a simple kiss and YOU --", he pointed one finger to her, "You didn't react half as much as you're reacting now."

"Percy that was years ago. And for the record, I was really mad."

"It wasn't so long ago Annabeth. It has just been three years since. And you're dodging the question"

"WHAT QUESTION?"

"THAT THIS ISN'T BEST FRIEND ANNABETH FIGHTING WITH ME. THIS IS SELECTED ANNABETH."

She looked down.

_He wasn't wrong. He wasn't right either._

"Percy, I'm serious. The fact that I got to know --", she gritted her teeth and pointed to the door, "JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, from a dam news _Report_ like all those years ago... It irritates me more than the Selected Annabeth could get stupid jealous over a kiss."

Something in Percy shifted and if possible, he looked even more closed off than before. He was mad.

"You know what?", he went to the door, "I don't even know WHY we're having this conversation. I'm the Prince, YOU don't tell me what to do with the Selected --"

_He doesn't get it._

"Percy, how many TIMES do I tell you that isn't --"

"BECAUSE!", he used his commanding voice and looked dangerously angry, "THIS IS JUST ANOTHER SELECTED TALKING", he opened the door.

_Annabeth felt something crack. She didn't know what._

He suddenly dropped his tone but he could have rather yelled at her because this hurt even more, "Just like the rest of them. And I don't owe anything to you, just the like rest of them."

He left, slamming the door shut.

Annabeth felt like someone was choking her. She didn't change her dress again. She just crawled to her bed, his words ringing in her ears like the worst scolding she's ever got.

_It overwhelmed her. Too much._

She slowly cried herself to sleep.

.........

Okay listen up everyone!

I've placed a silly(?) but ridiculously hard to find easter egg in THIS chapter. Can you find it? If you think you're slick enough then comment your thoughts on what the easter egg is.

I have wrote the next two chapters and if I see anyone commenting the right easter egg then I'll post them both together IMMEDIATELY after reading the comment. Otherwise, I'll post stuff in my own time.

I promise you, the easter egg isn't the first thing that will come to your mind after reading this chapter and PLEASE NOTE: Easter egg is from HOUSE OF HADES. NO OTHER BOOK.

**I'll summarize all the clues I've given yet:  
1) The easter egg is in #THIS chapter. (This clue has more meaning than you think. Why do you think I keep pointing it out?.)  
2) The easter egg is said by one of the seven but not Percabeth in House of Hades.  
3) In the chapter, it isn't a line but the egg STARTS with something that HAPPENS.**

Happy reading. I hope you liked the fight.😂😂

Lol I'm starting to wonder if my easter egg is lame but actually... If someone does find it, it would be a very good PLOT spoiler.

Hehe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay now REALLY COMMENT GUYS!
> 
> I'M SO EAGERLY WAITING FOR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS CHAPTER!!
> 
> CAN'T WAIT. 
> 
> AND HEYYYYYYYY Percabeth kissed! They fought too!!
> 
> Hehe. Will they make up easily? But what's the fun there, right?


	8. "Someone who drives him crazy and gives him a good --"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CREDITS TO @widowchase FOR FINDING OUT THE EASTER EGG.
> 
> The Easter egg is the NUMBER SEVEN. As in Chapter 7. I know no one noticed but I uploaded the chapter on JULY 7.
> 
> Hehe.
> 
> Frank mentioned in House of Hades that number SEVEN is the ghost number in chinese myths. Sort of like the unlucky number 13. Basically chapter 7 marks the chapter from where Precabeth's relationship will face the strain (as mentioned in the bio) which is why I said it was a plot spoiler.
> 
> When I first thought of the spoiler, I came up with this sadistic idea that since Percabeth kissed in chapter 7, they'll have this relationship strain. Unlucky number, you see. But overall, basically the number 7 is the Easter egg. (Oh and widowchase mentioned the Percabeth kiss too so I was very happy.)
> 
> That's why I kept tagging #THIS chapter like an idiot.
> 
> widowchase, these two chapters are for you!
> 
> I'm just going through the 9th chapter one last time. Will be posted shortly.
> 
> Thank you all so so much for all the comments! I honestly didn't realize how many references I did in a single chapter! Love you all so so much for reading this AU and I hope the next two chapters leave you standing on your toes for more!
> 
> (By the by, I kept giving these clues coz I actually wanted someone to find the Easter egg. Come on! I have written two chapters! You all want me to wait out a week to post them? Really?)

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"Somewhere between love and hate lies confusion, misunderstanding and desperate hope."**   
**― Shannon L. Alder**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

It was nearly two days since Annabeth and Percy's fight.

They weren't talking at all. No glances in the hallways. No more gang meet invites. Nothing, really. Only Jason came by to see her and told her that Percy was just being a jerk and that he would come back to senses soon.

_When?_

Annabeth didn't want to attend any royal meals but her ego wouldn't let her. When Piper cheerfully demanded that they wear matching dresses (the next day), Annabeth turned cold and told her that she wanted to be alone for a while. For two days, it has been just her, her books, her work and classes.

She realized too late that if sitting with Drew and Rachel's gang was a bad idea then sitting with them without Piper or any of her friends is a terrible one.

Unfortunately for her, she arrived late the next afternoon and Percy must have done the switching seats thing again because she found herself in the back of the table with Stella and Drew on either of her sides. Piper skipped that day. Thalia, Clarrise and Tracy are, by fate, sitting next to Percy on the other side of the table.

They were talking about dates when she started eating.

Drew gloated, "-- should've seen the stars that day. Gosh it was so good. He's an amazing entertainer. Always tries to keep the mood light. I can't wait to do it again."

_Oh great, Drew got the rooftop dinner._

Katie continued, "We went on a walk across the outer gardens. You guys should check it out sometime. If you think the gardens around the palace are great, wait till you see the outer ones. I can't believe he actually knows the names of all the flowers that grow there. It was so romantic."

Stella snorted, "How is walking romantic? I got a horse back ride. Thing is, I purposefully got clumsy when I got on my horse and almost fell ---"

Calypso interrupted, "Great way to ruin your date lady"

Stella narrowed her eyes, "Except, not really, because he offered to teach me balance by riding the same horse as me", she smirked. "And guess what? It was his horse. Actually, I don't give credit for that. It really tried to drop me down a few times and it was being a pain in the ass. The Prince had a hard time controlling it."

_Annabeth mentally_ _high-fives_ _blackjack. Then she thought: But... he is good with me._

Amber said, "Must be because you're a new person."

Stella shrugged, " Yeah, that's what he said too. He said it was fine with his friends."

_Was it just her or did Stella stare at Annabeth for a second there?_

"But hey, all good in the end. He's got strong arms, I'll tell you that."

Sally suddenly called out, "Annabeth!"

The girls around her went quiet. "Your highness?"

"Why are you sitting all the way over there? Tyson's narrating embarrassing stories about you to your competition!!"

Annabeth glared at Tyson who sent her a grin, "Okay fine. Just one more, I'll just tell them the bubblegum incident, okay? Besides, they say you're friends."

_Percy wasn't even looking. He was busy talking to a Selected._

Thalia mocked, "We are friends, aren't we, Beth?"

Annabeth nodded to her but glared at the Prince, "Your majesty, if you leak the bubblegum story, I'll leak the swimsuit story."

All the royals except Percy started grinning. Tyson paled, "Hey that's not fair."

Annabeth shrugged. Tyson grinned mischievously and went back to his conversation as the girls turned to her.

"Gosh, _Wise Girl,_ you're totally friend-zoned", said Drew.

Reyna snickered, "Someone told us you are competition. I wonder who the fool it was."

Cassy went on, "Have you girls seen how the Prince looks at her? Total sister material. I didn't know the whole family recognized it too."

Annabeth got irritated, "Percy likes me, alright? Your opinion doesn't change that."

Stella kept one hand on her back as if to say: _Oh poor baby_ , "Sweetie, we're sure he likes you. Likes you like a sister that is."

Drew joined, "How is your name Wise girl when you can't even see this? Don't worry when I become Queen, I'll let you stick around as his sister and show you how much he enjoys me. I don't see why that's needed though. Maybe in the past he wanted a sister but now he really has one. She's a nice real princess too, unlike you."

Annabeth clutched her hands and the soup spoon fell down. The room was too loud so no one but them paid attention.

Rachel leaned over from the other side and passed her soup spoon, "Don't worry. I haven't used it. I don't like soups."

Amber gasped and put one hand over her lips, "Good one Rachel, we'll give her the things we don't use. Like Prince's brotherly side."

A few girls snickered. Zoe joined the conversation, "Yeah and Mischelle's seat and room 23. Who would want a room in the palace with no windows anyway?"

Annabeth blabbered before she realized what she was saying, "That's not my room. My room is in the 3rd floor. Just like Percy. And for the record, I'm not his sister, I'm his best friend. We even have a gang."

Momentarily they all looked stunned but Drew recovered fast, "Wait... So you're telling me that you've practically _lived_ in the same floor as Percy and _been_ in the same gang but _nothing_ happened between you two? Wow, you're way more friend-zoned than Thalia there. And she told us she isn't interested in the Prince like that."

_She didn't tell me that..._

"I know him from head to toe. If I try, I can guess what he's gonna eat next. Don't test me."

Zoe snorted, "Exactly Bethie, that's what we're saying too. You know each other so well that you're stuck in his friend-zone. Come on, when was the last time you remotely got him flustered or turned him on?"

Drew snickered, "That's too far away, Zoe. When was the last time you wore something that made him stare at you? Have you ever worn red in your life? Trust me, from what I see, he isn't as innocent as he behaves with you. He's a total troublemaker."

_Yeah I know but it is not like that._

Reyna joined, "I second that. Guys like him like it when you're fresh. When they don't know you. When there is this air of mystery around you. He already knows you well, if he hasn't seen anything in you yet, he probably won't in the future too."

Annabeth clutched her teeth.

_He likes who I am,_ her mind defended.

Drew started, "You should have seen how he looked me up the other day. I think he may have a thigh fetish. Not sure yet. But I bet he likes things rough."

Annabeth felt her cheeks redden. _How can she tell something like this after one date? How is she sure?_

_Is it false though?_

"I bet you can't see things like this. When you look at him, the friendship filter blocks these." Said Amber

"Annabeth, jeez don't get so angry. It is okay to be his friend. I don't think any of us would have a problem with that. Besides, I don't think he'll let you go either", said Rachel.

_Is Rachel trying to be nice or trying to rub it on my face?_

"Besides, him liking these things isn't surprising. It isn't wrong either, it is just a part you haven't seen and so what? What if he likes to --", said Cassy.

Annabeth cuts her, "I'm not here to be his slut. I'm here to help him with his responsibilities as a Prince. Like a real partner."

Drew snickered,"Think about it Annie. Percy is the Prince. He has everything that he could want: Fame, power, money, fan-girls, you name it, he probably has it. What is the one thing he doesn't have? Someone that excites him. Someone that keeps him on the edge. Someone who drives him crazy and gives him a good --."

Calypso cuts her, "Why do you think we're listening to the classes? We want to be good enough for a queen too but Drew is right. This component is inevitable. If that's what it takes then so be it."

When she looked back towards the royal family, Percy is chatting away and not paying her any attention. Only Sally looked at her, slightly frowning like she were worried.

................................

She _knows_ Percy was free... well, comparatively. If Percy was right and the military problems were really over, that means the other royals would step in to handle everyday administrations and other works while they give Percy room to concentrate on the Selection. Besides, she knows for a fact that part of the gang met another time that morning and Percy couldn't possibly spend so much time with his friends if he was busy.

All these days she was waiting to spend time with him and now that he _does have time_ , they're fighting.

Great, universe, great.

She decided that it was about time she stepped out and apologized to Piper. She put on a two piece white dress figuring that she owed Piper at least a walk around for ignoring her for two days. She opened the door and found a tall, blond hair man probably in his late 20s at Willow's desk.

Annabeth called out, "Luke!!", she waved.

Luke turned to her, "Hey Annie! I was just asking about you", he walked a few steps towards her, "Apparently I can't trick anything out of your mentor."

Annabeth hit Luke on his shoulder playfully, "Of course you can't. She's too straight. What are you doing here?"

"I thought we could catch up. We didn't really get much time to before. I took a day off today so if you're free.. but.. now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I am allowed here on off duty days."

_Luke took a day off and he could have done anything with it but he still chose to meet with me._

_Annabeth doesn't want to feel excited. It's not right._

_But she can't deny it. Luke was her first crush._

"You're Percy's guard, I think we have exceptions. Sure, I'm free. So... I'll show you around?"

He frowned skeptically, "I'm the guard. I'm supposed to know the place. You'll show _me_ around?"

"And I've lived here for years. Which makes more sense?"

Luke smiled, "Okay Princess, show me around."

If Miss. Willow had any problem with Annabeth showing 'random' guards around the palace, she didn't show it. She looked at them, listened to their conversation and went back to shuffling papers and writing something.

Annabeth _wanted_ to care but she couldn't find it in herself to.

_I need a break._

...............

Luke and Annabeth decided to go to the gardens because 1) They can't go to the library because it was above the 2nd floor, 2) Library isn't the best place to catch up because they'll have to talk in hushed voices, 3) Gardens are places guards and Selected most go through and it won't look too odd to see a Selected with one there.

Luke, "-- That's how it happened. Then boom three years of training and I get a good guard position. Two more years and I was recruited to serve the palace."

"Wow Luke, you've done really well."

"You've too! Architecture department in the palace! I knew you always had potential but I didn't realize how much."

"Thanks. It is the only thing I'm sure of. I can't see myself in any other place."

"Yeah, but remember when we were young and made scenarios and plotted the fall of royals?"

Annabeth didn't hear him laugh but she knew he meant it as a joke, "Talk about reality! Now you're actually a guard but faithfully working for the Prince and I'm a Lady also faithful to the Selection."

Luke's expression hardened but Annabeth didn't notice, "You mean that? You're really in it for Percy?", he mock teased, "Not even a little bit for the throne and to make our childhood dreams come true?"

Annabeth turned serious though, "We were children Luke, we didn't understand how things went on in this place back then. Things have changed too. We're finally at peace. No civil wars for at least 10 years. Why would I even think like that anymore?"

Luke sighed, "You know I didn't mean that seriously. I'll give you this, you're good at dodging questions, too bad I'm good at noticing it."

Annabeth turned to him. "What question?"

"Are you really in it for only the Prince?"

Annabeth looked down. So many people had asked this question that she had started doubting herself.

_She was so sure it was all for him before._

But it can't be. If Annabeth really wanted to compete then she needs to do a good job at being a royal too, not just a lover.

_It has to be for the throne too. Not because she wants it, not because she's greedy for power but because she may have to take half of Percy's responsibility and burden._

_She wasn't sure if she was ready for it._

"Luke, I'm here as Percy's best friend but we're giving it a shot I guess... If anything, I'm here to support him for his responsibilities and not the power.", she admitted.

"He needs someone to slap him on the face when he goes things wrong though. He needs an anchor like that. But I guess he always depended on you indirectly, right? That breakfast in the diner is not the first time he's forgot stuff or became irresponsible, is it?"

She wanted to ask how he knew what happened but she missed her chance. They were walking side by side with a respectable (but not awkward) distance between them. Someone else was walking on the other side because halfway through the gardens, another couple came into their view.

_Percy and Rachel._

Percy had both his hands in his jeans pocket and Rachel was wearing a light orange floral dress that made her red hair stand out in the evening light. If this wasn't the royal palace then people seeing them would have thought it was a double date. All the four stopped in their tracks for a second before they approached each other.

Percy was the first to speak, "Lady Annabeth, what are you doing here?"

Annabeth's expression closed off. "Same as you, Prince. I'm showing a friend around. I'm sure those things are not prohibited for the Selected.", she put one arm around Luke's arm to emphasize her point.

Luke, if anything, smiled and adjusted their arms to look more formal. He saw Percy's obvious irritation but didn't budge.

Percy turned to him , "Aren't you supposed to be on duty now?"

"I took a day off, your majesty. For myself. I'm sorry we disturbed you. We really didn't expect anyone to be here", Percy's jaw tightened at that statement.

Luke's tone turned, "We should get going. We'll stay on the other side and not bother you, your highness", he bowed a little dragging Annabeth halfway but she looked straight at Percy.

Percy ignored him, "Lady Annabeth. Why aren't you with the others for dinner?"

Annabeth genuinely forgot that it was already dinner time. She was so busy catching up with Luke.

She lied, "I already ate in my room."

He sighed, expression morphing into concern, "Annabeth, are you eating properly?"

_She wasn't but that isn't his problem. She's filling herself with junk but she doesn't owe to tell him._

"Of course I'm eating, your highness. I don't see why _you_ should bother about that. Just another Selected here.", her voice was stern.

"What.. Wise Girl.."

Annabeth tightened her arm around Luke, "Lets get going."

They rushed off to where Percy and Rachel came from. Annabeth immediately pressed herself to the edge of the building, safely hiding from the Prince's view. Luke looked at her, dumbfounded then mouthed a 'what'.

She ignored him and listened to Percy's conversation with Rachel. She thought they didn't move because she was able to hear them without pitch change.

Rachel asked, "What was that?"

Percy scoffed but it wasn't harsh, "Good question."

"Did you guys fight or is this how you are?"

_Annabeth mentally face palmed herself. Yeah we did. Now you go spread it around._

"Is it that obvious? You know I --"

Luke interrupted. He kept his face too close to Annabeth and whisper scolded, _"Annabeth! What are you doing?"_

She whisper replied, _"Just make sure no one sees us, will you?"_

_"This is wrong."_

She pushed him away, _"Then imagine you never saw me and stand guard."_

Luke opened his mouth, closed it and decided it was best to get over with it. Annabeth missed part of what Percy said.

Rachel spoke again, "Right. I can see how that went. Percy, you'd have had fights before right? Just talk it out."

"We always fight but not like this. I don't know, Rachel"

_First name basis now?_

Rachel said, "It isn't logical though. This is the Selection. I can't get jealous over you dating 24 more girls, can I? I have to focus on proving myself."

Her anger spoke in her mind. Ah _, what now?_

Annabeth guided Percy over so many of his decisions that she didn't _need_ to be part of the council to influence it.

_How is that for proof?_

Luke nudged Annabeth but she didn't care. Percy responded, "It is not so black and white when you have history but sometimes... I just wish she'd see things from my point of view. She just..."

Luke interrupted, _"We need to go."_ , he pulled her away roughly and they entered the palace.

Annabeth yanked her arms off of him. "You should have let me be Luke! Why can't you stand ---"

He was hearing none of it though, "Annabeth! What was that? Do you even realise what you were doing? Eavesdropping the Prince!!?"

She hanged her head down.

"What has he done to you! Tell me what happened."

She did. She tells him how she had been feeling hurt because she was 'just another Selected' to Percy. She tells about how he lied to her and kept lying.

Luke wrapped one hand around her in the end and said, "He's a jerk. You know I'd never do anything like that."

Annabeth got the implication and felt uncomfortable.

He held out a pinky finger and Annabeth sealed the promise.

_Why are you here after so long, Luke?_

_Why complicate things more?_

She just smiled though.

..............

After walking back to her room, Annabeth noticed a very important problem."Um.. Luke, did I give you my keys to the room?"

_She knew she hadn't._

He shook his head, "No you didn't."

"I think I dropped it down somewhere."

"Oh.. no spare?"

_Oh gods._

"The maids have one but they practically live with me so it's inside the room."

"Then what's the problem?"

"They aren't inside the room now. I told them I wanted to be alone for a while." Suddenly she remembered. "Percy has a spare."

Luke almost jumped at that. " _WHAT?"_

She hit him on the arm. "Not like that. I don't know if he _has_ it but he has access to it."

"Okay wait, he may be in his room. I'll check."

Annabeth watched Luke climb up to the third floor and suddenly she remembered someone else.

Miss. Willow should, right?

_Here goes nothing._

Miss. Willow stared at her as she approached. "Yes, Lady Annabeth?"

_Is that spite in her tone?_

"I'm sorry but I lost my room keys. Do you have a spare?"

She huffed. "So irresponsible. Is this how --"

Annabeth tuned out for a minute. At last, she said. "-- and no, I don't have it. Prince Percy has the spare. He took it from me a few days ago and never returned it. He is being irrespon --"

Luke just then came back. "Guards say he isn't in."

"Oh great. Guess I'm sleeping with Piper today."

Luke hesitated, "Or.. we could search it. I remember where we walked."

Annabeth wasn't dumb enough to not understand the opening. We could search it _together._ She didn't know what to think of it but after about 2 hours, they finally found the keys where she had stopped to eavesdrop on the Prince.

_Karma, huh?_

They juggled the key between each other all the way while walking to her room and Luke opened the door, still smiling over silly things they were talking about.

Then, he froze.

Percy was in her room, _lying on the bed,_ looking at photos.

Annabeth heart skipped a beat despite their fight. She reacted first, "Percy? What... What are you doing here?"

Percy got out of bed and took two big steps, "What do you think you're doing?", he challenged Luke.

Annabeth put one hand on his chest and stopped him, "Back off. He was just helping me."

He turned to her, angry, "Helping you what? Helping you unlock the door?"

She frowned, "No, helping me find my keys. I lost it when we were walking. We had to retrace our --"

"Why didn't you just ask Willow? She always has a spare."

"I DID. She told me you took them and you were with...", she trailed off. "You were gods-know-where."

_Rachel. Rachel. Rachel. Stop occupying my mind!_

Percy looked away, "I was in the terrace."

"Great! Because I'm not even allowed access to the 3rd floor. Forget the terrace!"

He turned to Luke, "YOU. You DON'T have the clearance to walk on this floor."

_What? No. I'm not gonna watch you push him like this._

Luke paled but Annabeth answered for him. "Of course he does. Jason comes over all the time. What makes this different?"

Percy makes a fist but keeps his gaze on Luke, "Leave. And. Don't. Let. Me. See. You. Tomorrow."

He tried to pull Annabeth in but she just stepped on his toes. She demanded that she wanted to say bye to Luke and when he awkwardly stretched one hand, she said something about formalities and hugged him.

_You're my friend. Don't be threatened by Percy._

"What the hell?" She spat, after closing the door.

He didn't speak.

"He's your guard Percy! Just like Jason!"

Anger flared in his eyes, "He is NOTHING like Jason. Nothing!"

She didn't step back, "You think you have any right to march up against my friend, No, my guardian, and shout like that? Being a Prince does not mean you act like shit, Percy!"

He crowded her space, "Oh you think I'm acting like shit? What were you doing with him? He isn't even allowed in these areas!"

"He is your guard! You literally live one floor above me. Of course he is allowed!"

"NO Annabeth. He isn't. Not anymore. Don't you get that?"

Annabeth reeled back for a moment. "What? Percy you cannot control who I wish to see! I like Luke and I want to see him!"

His expression hardened, "Not when you're in the Selection."

_Annabeth felt irritated. Not everything is about Selection._

"So it's completely fair that you get to see 25 different girls at the same time and oh, did I forget? Kiss them and do whatever else that you want to but I can't even--"

"You can't see him because it is treason, okay?!! Please, Annabeth, I don't wanna hurt you."

_Oh. More you mean?_

She crossed her arms and scoffed. "Done enough of that. So have you had enough of me yet?"

He frowned. "What?"

_I won't ask. I don't wanna know._

_Better to find out now, right?_

Annabeth looked at him in the eye. "Did you kiss me because Rachel kissed you or because you really wanted to kiss me?"

Percy paled one moment and that was answer enough for her.

_Gods Percy.. how many lies?_

She scoffed, "I knew --"

He put his hands on his head, "Annabeth, you know it's not like that --"

She stomped one foot to the ground in anger, "REALLY Percy? Okay then tell me what it is like? BECAUSE SO FAR I'VE ONLY HEARD YOU LIE."

Percy grit his teeth. "We're not having this conversation again." He took one more step towards her. "I'M NOT OBLIGED TO TELL YOU ANYTHING."

She turned her face away from him in pain but her voice was clam and composed, "You're right. So neither am I. Now get out."

"What?"

She met his eyes again and Percy could have sworn he saw it shimmer. "I. Said. GET. OUT."

He frantically moved his hands in an attempt to touch her shoulders but she flinched away.

She suddenly felt all her doubts rush back to her: the Selected's words from that morning, the fact that she can't take a princess puppet role...

It hurt that the kiss meant like it some sort of assurance from Percy. She suddenly hated it.

_No, I'm not gonna cry in front of him._

"Don't make me throw you out. Just... Leave me alone."

Percy sighed and reached the door. "Wear light color. Accessorize. No skin. Be plain and boring. Blindly trust me on this."

"What?"

When Percy opened the door, Miss. Willow was standing on the other side. "What do you think you're doing?" He barked.

Willow visibly flinched, "I came to inform that the tests starts at 9 tomorrow."

Annabeth frowned, "What test?"

"Your first test as a Selected. Assemble in the diner."

She turned to Percy, "This is supposed to be for the grading, right? Why don't I sit it out and make it easier for both of us?"

Percy warned, "Annabeth." He then sighed, "Please."

_How many more days do you want me to cry to sleep?_

..........................................

Next day, she put on a light sandal-pink dress which was probably the definition of blending in the crowd. Her maids gave her a quick hairdo which looked so complicated, she wondered how they possibly managed it under 20 minutes. She doubted if anyone would see her first in a group of 25 girls though, but that was the look she was going for. She remembered Percy's words: _Plain and boring._

_But still beautiful,_ she reminded herself.

They didn't talk yet. The only thing he heard from Percy before the test was the common addressing he gave to the Selected during breakfast.

They were taken to a part of the castle that was probably the least visited by Annabeth: the music and dance department. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in it. It was just always closed off, reserved for the best of the best. Technically, it wasn't a part of the palace, so far away from the actual entrance that the outer gardens were its neighbors.

Chairs were arranged in a 5×5 arrangement next to the big mirror in a dance practice room which was odd since classrooms were probably somewhere nearby. Nobody questioned it of course. When they entered, Artemis and Hecate were sitting in two out of three chairs that were kept next to the projector screen, facing the rest.

Artemis smiled at Annabeth.

Piper nudged her, " You know the Councilwoman?"

"Not all of them."

"Whoa. And these people told you you're not competition and you actually believed them."

Annabeth opened her mouth but Artemis started speaking, "Welcome ladies. Your first test will be history. Please take a seat. You will find that papers are already placed in your seats. You cannot flip them until I say. Write everything you know about the questions. Cheating is useless, you'll all have different set of questions. 30 minutes."

Annabeth pulled the first chair out but Rachel did too at the same time. Willow interrupted them, "Lady Rachel, you may take the seat."

Annabeth glared at Willow as Rachel took her seat. Piper beckoned Annabeth over, pulling out two seats.

Willow noticed, "Ah, no. Friends won't be sitting together. Lady Drew, why don't you sit in between these two?"

Drew didn't look happy about it but she pulled the seat to her right but Willow pulled one out for her to Piper's right. "I would prefer it if you sat here." She said.

She then placed Annabeth to Drew's right and moved on to separate other friends.

_What a lovely soul she was._

Artemis announced, "Okay that settles everything. Flip your sheets and start writing everyone. 30 minutes for you."

Annabeth flipped her sheet.

1 _) Name_ _the second heir of third King of New Europe, his family and their accomplishments. Mention why this is significant to Ichor._

Whoa, thought Annabeth. That's easy. That's like asking Nico's biography. Annabeth didn't need a book to answer that. She heard it all first hand.

_2) Name three defense procedures used in the Chinese-Europe war which failed in the Rival-Middle African war._ _What is the common point you find with this and the Rebels war of Ichor? If you were queen but you_ _seek_ _an alternative way then what would you do instead of abolishing the caste system?_

This question was hard. There was no other way than abolishing the caste system. It _had_ to be done. It should have happened years ago in fact. Annabeth chose to write what she felt.

_3) Below is the rough sketch of the battle offense plan used in the battle of Germany and France in the 1960s. Assuming no nuclear weapons were used and the results of the battle would be same, explain the fault line. Also, based on the diagram, decide_ _who_ _is who and who lost._

Annabeth frowned. There was no Germany and France war that she knew of in the 1960s. Still the diagrams weren't too hard to decipher for a girl who is more interested in architecture and battle strategies than being a princess. Annabeth was sure she aced this one. She doubted if the others could have though.

_4) [Bonus question from Percy Jackson.] Well, you all hardly know me so I'll keep it simple. My birthday. My favorite food. My sword's name. Don't worry, no marks for this question. Try a small biography, let me see what you know._

Annabeth wanted to cry and laugh. _This idiot._ Instead, she started writing. She still had a good five minutes left to factor in his ridiculous biography.

_Your highness_ _,_

_August 18. Anything blue, preferably pancakes. Riptide (should_ _I_ _mention what else you call it?)_

_You drool in your sleep. You carry Riptide around everywhere, probably even on your dates. You love blue food more than your friends and we'll kill you for that someday. You_ _secretly love cartoon films but hate Titanic. You love to swim but still get tired of too much water. Oh and yes, you always lose capture the flag unless I'm in your team. People wonder how you could find your way around a paper bag without me. Did I get everything?_

_No, I forgot to mention that you're a thick headed asshole who at some point of his life, majored in messing up._

_You thought I was gonna say love,_   
_Keep dreaming,_   
_Annabeth._

Annabeth thought Willow had abandoned all sorts of resentment feelings towards her after Percy's outburst. So, naturally, she couldn't have been further from the truth.

After history, she paired her with the weakest ones for balance. She gave her wrong spoons for cutlery, worst partner for pair dance; if there was any loophole in a test, it looked like Annabeth always got it by chance.

She was starting to wonder if her history paper was rigged too. Still, the competitive spirit in her made sure she did pretty well no matter the odds. That seemed to irk Willow even more.

She was really glad when finally she had one test Willow couldn't poke her nose in.

Artemis announced, "We'll end with the dance and final statements. You'll be dancing in a 25 O pattern and when the whistle rings you'll shift to a 25 double infinite pattern. Volunteers please come out."

A group of men, all dressed in black pants and black shirts came out of the second door. Annabeth recognized almost none of them. They must be from the dance department. She was surprised to see Luke and Jason though. Piper and Annabeth stood next to each other in the formation. They all agreed on right side moment because that usually went smoothly.

It was awkward : dancing with a strangers who probably thought the Selected were horrible. These people were from the dance department, after all. After two guys, it was Luke's turn with Annabeth. He didn't greet her. The first thing he said was--

"You kissed Percy?"

Annabeth blushed but it faded too soon after had happened last night. She wasn't expecting that question. "How do you know?"

Luke scoffed. "So you did", his tone changed, "Your friends met yesterday and refused to let him in without some password--"

_Right. That._

"--Percy got angry. Then they demanded why you weren't there and he shouted something about him kissing you. I thought he was lying--"

She glanced at the judges and found Hecate looking at the mirror and back at the Selected a few times.

_Was it just her or did she behave as if relying a message to someone on the other side_?

Luke spun her around and when she came closer again, his tone got angry, "Your boyfriend was being a jerk."

Annabeth scoffed. _Yeah right_. _Your boyfriend._

He wasn't her boyfriend.

"I thought they met on Thursday."

"No. They didn't."

"We fought." She said simply.

She wasn't sure if Luke was surprised or hopeful, "You fought? Why?"

She shrugged, "Rachel kissed him, he didn't tell me, I got angry."

Annabeth felt his grip tighten, "He cheated on you?"

She sighed, "It isn't cheating. It is Selection. Besides, she kissed him first."

Whatever Luke was gonna say got cut off as he had to move.

After a few more guys and tempo changes, it was Jason's turn. He didn't greet her either--

"You really know this Luke guy?" Jason asked.

"Huh? Yeah I do he's a friend. Why?"

"No reason.", he looked at the mirror behind Annabeth.

"Since when do you dance?" She asked.

"Hey! I have a few talents. You.. you look nice."

She smiled, "And plain and boring?"

She smiled to herself as he spun her. When she looked at the mirror while spinning, she realized his expression was little guilty.

"Don't worry, that was what I was planning to be."

"Oh okay. By the way I'm supposed to tell you this. Next password is THIS BOY IS ON FIRE."

What? How...

Jason read her expression, "No, don't ask."

Suddenly a whistle was blown and the music became slower. He looked around, "Ah... I don't know what happens in this part."

Annabeth guided him around the room. "Do you see the double infinite loop?"

He nodded.

"The trick is to dance without hitting others. Just do what you've done till now and follow the girls while switching. Oh! The order changes now, you have to dance with Piper again."

Annabeth rose an eyebrow when he looked happy about it.

"Did he talk to you yet?" He asked.

She looked away. "Sort of. It didn't end well."

"Why?"

"He told me he didn't wanna kiss me."

Jason's mouth flew open, "Whhaaaattttttttt? Annabeth is something wrong with your ears?"

She hit his neck where she was holding him.

"No, I'm serious. That makes no sense. There is no way he said that. Misunderstandings. You guys need to make up. The gang is empty without our number 1 couple."

She didn't reply.

"We're dancing extra time", he pointed out.

"Yeah. We used one break verse to change formation. Tempo is slow too. We should wait for the next to exchange again."

He nodded and looked towards the mirror.

_Is Jason checking himself? Why does he want to look good? Or dance good?_

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be guarding Percy?"

"Leo is with him. I'll go back once the dance is over."

She guessed, "So you're here for Piper?"

He blushed.

_Right. That's why._

"You should be happy alright! Imagine dancing with Leo. He is shorter than you!"

"That's true." Annabeth remembered a time when she danced with Percy when he was shorter than her. That was awkward.

"He'll stop to point to himself to yell treason 10 times by now."

Annabeth laughed and placed her head on his shoulder. The angle made her look at the mirror. She decided she likes this reflection. That is, dancing with one of her friends in a plain dress in a studio part of the reflection. Not the competing for Percy part of it.

She wished things happened differently. They could have given their relationship a shot a few years ago and avoided all this. Then again, Annabeth was sure it wouldn't have worked then. They were only kids and they both had their fair share of mistakes. She sighed.

When she looked at Miss. Willow, she got a disappointing look like: _Behave!_

She ignored her and looked back at Jason. Only, Jason wasn't looking at her. He was looking towards the mirror as if expecting Percy to come out of it and hit him for dancing with the Selected.

_Weird,_ she thought, _Percy wouldn't do that._

She mentally scoffed. _Not to Jason, that is._

_Besides, he isn't here_ _, is he?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter, isn't it?


	9. "What's a weed?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DEDICATED to @widowchase for the easter egg again!

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ **

**_“Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can't get any better, it can.”_ **  
**_― Nicholas Sparks_ **

**_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ **

(Note the time change) (Back to the past)

Percy left Annabeth's room feeling like shit. He thought about Rachel, Luke and Selection and he didn't want things to be this complicated.

Annabeth took everything he said and twisted it to something he didn't mean. _How do I fight against that?_

 _But you did lie._ His mind said.

There was one good lie among his other lies though. _I bet she didn't figure that one out._ When he climbed up the stairs for the _real_ gang meet day. To his utter irritation, Luke was standing guard.

 _I thought you took a day off_ _!_

_WHY? DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO THROTTLE YOU?_

His anger got the best of him and he pushed Luke back by holding his neck.

He wasn't even startled.

He looked _amused._

"WHAT. DID. I. TELL. YOU?"

Anger was literally flowing out of Percy in waves. He knew this was bad. This could expose _way_ more things than he wanted. Things that even Annabeth doesn't know.

He reluctantly pulled his hands out and counted till 20.

 _Not here,_ his brain said.

_But seriously give me some w --_

He knocked on the door. No shuffling was heard of course. The room was soundproof. Jason opened it.

Percy bit it out, "Why is Luke here? Isn't it his day off?"

"Huh? Yeah. I think it ends in an hour? Luke's my +1 for the night shift. Why?"

"Night shift?"

"Leo has some work. He's trained enough so... You want me to change it?"

He shook his head, "No. I trust you. Put at least one guard I know for the nights though."

He tried to go in but Jason pushed him back. "I didn't do all that weightlifting to just let you enter okay?"

"What?"

Just then, Grover, Chris, Beckendorf and Silena opened the door wider. Beckendorf said, "Password. Password. Man, how do I always miss the best meets?"

For a second he wondered what it was. Oh yeah, 'Tiara gives book to sparky'. So he remembered the password alright? He was just sooooo irritated with it. Almost as much as Luke. He grit his teeth. "I'm not saying the password."

Grover smirked, "Stay outside then." He tried to shut the door but Percy just held it with his hand.

"I said. I'm. Not. Saying the password."

Beckendorf frowned, "What's with you? And where's Annabeth?"

"She's not coming."

Jason asked, "What do you mean she's not coming? What'd you do, Jackson?"

Percy crossed his arms and shrugged. "Honestly? No idea."

Malcom pushed his way in. Seeing him made Percy just feel more guilty. "Did I hear Annabeth's name? Should I go bring her?"

Silena answered, "No. Percy just fucked up something."

Percy mock laughed with no mirth. He yelled. "Yeah. I kissed her and now she hates me. Happy?"

Everyone's expression was confusion/surprise but Luke looked like someone just punched him on the chest.

Grover asked, "Why would she be angry?"

"Because I didn't mean it!"

Jason, "What the hell?"

Malcom was clearly keeping his emotions in check. He always kept saying how Percy's friendship with Annabeth doesn't concern him but Percy knew better than that.

 _You can't call someone your sister and mean it but not be_ _protective._

"SHE thinks that."

Chris shoved him, "Then go tell her it's not true."

"I tried. She told me to get out."

Jason, "That means you should stay and chase man. Honestly! Girls don't always mean what they--"

Malcom interrupted. His expression was sour. "Not my sister. When she says get out, best do it. She probably needs some time."

"So what do I do? Wait for her to raise a peace flag?"

"No", he looked straight at Percy, "You fucked up, you clean the mess. She won't come to you. You have to go to her."

_Yeah, I did that. Not doing it again._

He doesn't say that of course.

"Let me in."

...................................

(Back to the present)

Sometimes Estelle really annoyed Percy.

His dad had deposited Estelle in his room after breakfast asking him to take care of her. He whined that he had work to do but when he mentioned what work it was, Estelle only got excited and refused to leave.

Percy wanted to shake away the feeling to just get to Annabeth who was in the next room and dance with her and tell her he doesn't mean anything he said.

_Except, that would be lies._

_Besides, I went to her room with a peace flag and she threw me out. Her turn._

Percy was sitting on a table with Estelle on his lap and one of his hands covered her mouth as she squirmed in his arms and giggled again. He half watched half heard a Selected give the final test - speech, while he tried to balance Estelle.

Suddenly, she licked his hand.

"Ew", said Percy, tone sweet, "Baby, why is my princess torturing me today, hmm?"

He turned her around and held both of her wrists as she giggled and stood up on his lap. "We have to be quiet. Remember. No sound."

She nodded but opened her mouth in another fake attempt to scream but Percy smiled and turned her back around. "Listen to them", he commanded.

Leo snickered as he came in, "That's your baby voice? I bet the girls love it."

Percy glared at him before closing Estelle's ears. "Not everyone is as kinky as you."

Leo took his face shield off and sat with Percy. "You're telling me you are not kinky? Yeah right. Like I believe that."

"I didn't say that. I just don't think all girls like it."

"Translation: You don't know if Annabeth likes it."

Percy rolled his eyes.

Sally joined them, "You two talk like I'm not in the room." She was sitting in one corner of the room, also listening to the Selected's speeches.

Leo paled. "Your-Your Majesty", he stood and bowed, "I-I didn't see you. I'm so sorry."

Percy snickered and Sally waved it away, "It is alright. Invisible is sort of what we're trying to be."

She was right. The mirror in the dance department was a see through. They were here for the real test. As the Selected proved themselves in various fields, Percy and Sally observed how they behaved with each other and how their expressions changed. This was the surprise character test.

Tyson barged in.

Percy spoke up, "Why are you so late? They're almost done. You skipped everything."

Tyson ignored him, "You and Annabeth faught?!"

He glared at his brother who didn't looked bothered. Tyson asked, "Did you do the deed with someone else?"

Percy widened his eyes and clamped his hands over Tyson's mouth. He looked at Estelle, praying she didn't hear.

Estelle asked, "What is a weed?"

Everyone's eyes widened at that. Sally spoke up, "Weeds are unwanted plants. Did you get that?" She lifted her and carried her over to her place, "Lets give the boys some space for boy talks, huh?"

Percy started, "She thinks I lied to her."

"Did you?"

"No"

"That's not how I heard it."

"Time to replace your source then. Who is it?"

"None of your business."

Just then Jason burst in and said, "Hey man, she laughed because I teased, okay? No hard feelings."

Percy blinked before realising what he was talking about, "Jason, Its cool. Seriously, rather you than anyone else."

What's with so many last minute guests today?

Leo picked up, "Sparky likes Pretty"

"Huh?"

"Jason likes Piper."

Jason looked guilty. Sally's eyes widened and Leo smacked Jason's neck.

"You really do, don't you?" Said Tyson.

"Sorry man, I didn't mean to."

Percy turned to his mother. "Mom, Tyson, we didn't hear this okay? Jason you better be glad you're friends with the prince", he hits him on the back, "Bro code is dead, huh?"

Leo spoke up, "I thought you said you felt friendly with her."

Sally added, "She's still in the Selection. It's still treason."

They went silent.

Tyson said, "I don't see the point though. Percy here has a type. Piper isn't the type."

Leo joined, "Yeah, Percy has a thing for blondes."

His cheeks reddened, "No I don't!"

Jason said, "That's true. You name one girl you've --"

Percy hit him again. "My brother, my sister and my mom are in the room you idiot."

Sally looked interested, "How come I don't know this?"

Percy was mortified, "Mom!!"

Jason interrupted, "I guess we missed the last few speeches. Why is Annabeth the last one to speak?"

Tyson looked up, "The order is random. Someone has to be last. What's she saying?"

Percy grinned, "I gave her a very interesting topic."

Leo picked up the sheet that was next to Percy. "What is the significance of Prince's crown and why should it not be worn outside the royal family?"

Jason, Tyson and Leo laughed.

"That isn't even a speech topic."

"This isn't the formal speech. She already did one on caste system. This is the extra one minute ending speech. Besides, this is revenge."

"Turn the volume up, lets hear it fully."

Leo fiddled with the controls.

"--- not to mention heritage. I would say to wear the crown by an outsider is disrespectful and completely unprofessional. Even close friends shouldn't indulge in it. That said, it is also his responsibility to keep it secure all the time. It is a symbol of power and should not be handled lightly. That's all. Any questions?"

Someone from the Selected spoke up, "You say you're the Prince's friend. Have you ever seen anyone else wear his crown?"

Percy marveled at her perfect poker face. "No. None I can think of."

Councilwomen Artemis and Hecate raise eyebrows but let it slide. Artemis spoke up, "What should be the punishment for someone who steals the crown?"

Annabeth tried to look calm, "Technically, stealing is different from simply wearing it. I guess the wearer could pass by with a warning but the thief would need to pay a fine."

Hecate hummed and looked up at the mirror.

_People would have figured out by now. I told you to be subtle!_

Artemis spoke up. "Alright ladies. That's it. Lady Annabeth can go take the seat. Please stand according to your Selection numbers."

They stood in a long line and since Annabeth was 23, she occupied the end closer to the boys. She couldn't see them of course, because Percy doubted even she knows her way around this place. They bowed and started leaving.

Leo said, "She looks plain compared to the rest. She should have worn something that made her stand out."

Sally intervened, "That's exactly what she's not supposed to do. She's seen enough of royalty to know colours are for the press purposes. In theory, she looks perfect." She glanced at Percy. "You didn't give her ideas, did you?"

Percy lied smoothly, "No. This wasn't me. You can believe me because we are kind of not talking much."

Jason chuckled, "This is Annabeth we're talking about. Percy doesn't give her ideas. It is the other way around."

"Hey!", He complained.

........................

After dinner, Annabeth had been walking in the gardens when she found someone.

It was Jason.

And Piper.

....Walking together?

Piper waved her over. Jason looked embarrassed.

"Hey Annabeth! Walk with us!", Said Piper.

Annabeth obeyed, "Wassup?"

"Jason was just telling me Percy made his eliminations. We're 20 now."

_Top 20. Who would've thought?_

Jason interrupted, "Technically, not yet. They'll be eliminated tomorrow during breakfast."

"That's a horrible scene. Tell him to change it."

Annabeth agreed. "What are you two doing here?"

"Walking", said Piper in the best poker face she could muster. "We're just going back to the rooms and you're joining us."

She tried to protest but Piper didn't give in. She gave Jason an apologetic look before joining. When they reached the Selected rooms they saw someone leaning against a room.

Percy was kissing Rachel outside her room.

Annabeth froze.

_It was one thing hearing it happened. Another actually seeing it._

She felt like someone was stabbing her back.

Immediately, Jason pulled Annabeth back and guided them through another set of hallways. Piper was torn between feeling bad and feeling bad for Annabeth.

"Guys its alright! I'm fine. Seriously, Jason, you don't have to."

"You can be okay with it but Prince or not, Selection or not, you don't have to see it."

Annabeth looked down. "It isn't easy but this is how it is supposed to be. I have to get used to it guys."

"No you don't. Neither does anyone else. I'll tell the asshole to do things in private. That was so stupid."

"I'm in the Selected too, you know?" Said Piper.

Jason turned to her, "I thought you said you weren't interested in him"

"Huh? Why?" Asked Annabeth.

"I don't know. Remember how much I gushed over that greenhouse date? I think it was just the Selection talking. The more I think about it, the more I realise Percy isn't my type. Does that make sense to you? That the guy probably half the kingdom's marrying age group gushes over doesn't make you feel like that?"

"Yeah it does and it also makes me wonder what is your type.", Said Annabeth.

"Maybe blondes", she quickly wrapped an arm around Annabeth's shoulder, "I mean look, three of my good friends over here are blond."

Jason scratched his neck and that's when Percy came towards them from the end of the hallway.

He was grinning.

Annabeth felt an urge to punch him.

"Hey", he said.

Jason and Piper remained silent thinking it was best to let Annabeth answer so when she didn't, it got awkward.

"Did something happen?", he asked, completely clueless.

Piper shook her head.

"Okay.. then. Jason, uh, there's something you should know."

He nodded and they walked back towards the Selected rooms.

Piper clutched Annabeth's hand after he left, "Boys. I swear they're all blind."

Annabeth grunted, "You're no better. _Into blondes_ really? I don't think he catched up."

She blushed.

They may be Top 20 now but in reality, Annabeth realised that they were actually Top 18 -- assuming both Piper and Thalia weren't eliminated of course.

 _She didn't like_ _the_ _number 18. Percy messed up a lot of things when he was 18. Ironically, his birthday was also on August 18th._

 _Interesting number,_ she thought.

.............................

Ichor had its fair share of politics.

The Rebel wars existed long before Annabeth was born but its scars were like stone engravings, permanently etched to the society. Even after the wars ended and Ichor permanently scrapped off the caste system, it didn't mean peace.

Sure, 10 years went by smoothly. Poseidon was crowned King and then what? Many anti royal protests started erupting. It took years to understand that the best approach to the situation is to let the kingdom have more than just law personal and royals for justice. That's how constitutional monarchy was born.

The common goal of many protestants was one : Existing laws did not provide equality and they did not punish the ones who still discriminated based on caste.

Answer to that? Reforms.

Equality reforms like free education till end of school came up and a 'quota' system came into place. Now everywhere you go, be it college, work or entrance exams, you had to mention your caste, even if it was just as a number.

It is the reason why the Selected needed to be selected from 7 different polls and exactly 5 girls each: To keep things fair and square.

There was something called 'general category' where everyone could participate irrespective of caste and get seats purely on merit. There was another category : Chance Reserved. Only people of 5s or lower could compete in it and they had a 25% quota, meaning 25% of all seats were reserved for them.(It had specific rules on least number of 7s and 8s too)

It started as a way to uplift the lower castes and give them chance to get jobs which were previously only for the upper castes but now, tables have turned. The upper castes have started to protest that it is unfair because someone with better merit loses seats to someone else based on caste. The lower caste debate on the other side and troll the upper castes for years of injustice.

It hence became a never ending debate.

One thing was clear though, the concept of 9s, the _untouchables_ was changed forever. They were all merged into 8s and no one could call another an 9 or _untouchable_ even as a joke anymore. ANY discrimination to the existing 9s-turned-to-8s now comes under grounds of criminal punishment.

The punishment for treason was also revised. Previously, all offenders were declared a 10 and were publicly shamed and tortured untill the royals were content. Now, there was no change in their caste but they were exiled from the kingdom (and all its benefits) _after_ they were publicly shamed (now on a timed basis).

Ichor had its fair share of mysteries too.

Top of the list? _King Poseidon got lost at sea._

They never said _died_ but eventually, all hope was lost that he would come back. Queen Sally had to conduct her own Selection more for the sake of the country than herself. When Paul came by, he explained to the media that he'd taken in an orphan named Tyson (who had one day been found in front of his house stranded in a fridge) and that he couldn't give him up even for the sake of Selection. You can imagine how good of a media attention that got.

But it wasn't just that. Paul naturally became Sally's favourite overtime. He refused to let her and Selection go even after it went on for nearly 3 years amidst civil war scenarios. He was tough, resilient and strong - like a real King.

Only problem? Marrying Paul left only one royal have true royal blood - Percy.

Being the eldest, naturally he was next King but there was far more than just the title weighing on his shoulders. If he died, then Ichor would lose the Royal bloodline forever. It may be forced to give the Kingdom over to Hades or promote Blofis family line as the royal family - a weak point many would like to exploit. Percy was guarded as much as Sally and Paul were, sometimes more even.

He _had_ to have children, preferably, at least one son. He _had_ to run Ichor and unlike how all other Princes of the rest of the world stepped in only after their mother or father (whomever had royal blood) died in their old age, Percy had to do it when he was 24. Not only that, he had to find a Queen bold and strong enough to hold the weight of the sky _with him_ and not crush under it.

He would be 23 in a few months. He was running out of time. It gave, at best, 7 months for him to choose a Selected. And not just someone who he could love but someone who could actually step into that authority role in such a young age, stand in the spotlight and take decisions that would make or break a thousand lives.

Just thinking about it made Annabeth want to lock herself up in the royal library.

Apparently, even after dealing with him for years, the crown Prince of Ichor had a few more surprises up his sleeve.

Why you ask?

No one was eliminated during breakfast the next day.

Annabeth was sitting in front of Percy this time, with Piper next to her and much to her irritation, Rachel was sitting _right_ next to Percy.

 _I would rather sit in the back than talk to him while she_ _'innocently'_ _puts her hands on his arms._

Worst part? Either Percy was okay with it or he didn't tell her off in front of everyone - both of which Selected Annabeth wasn't ready to handle yet.

Rachel spoke, "-- you all should have seen it. So hilari --"

Piper cut her, "Hey, but how would you balance with a half-board? I've only tried the standard ones."

They were talking about surfing -- a topic which Drew, Rachel, Piper and Reyna knew about but Annabeth had no clue except that Percy loves it.

Percy spoke, "I could teach you Lady Piper. You'd learn it easily because you already know basics. Definitely easier to teach you than anyone else."

Piper hummed, "I don't want a class though. I want a race."

He raised his eyebrows, "You'll lose. I promise."

"Let's see."

Annabeth cut him, "What about the eliminations?"

His eyes snapped to hers and he frowned at that. "What about it?"

"Well we didn't have exams for no rea--"

Drew cut her, "Lady Annabeth, Miss. Willow told us that we'd not have any eliminations for three weeks. It hasn't been three weeks yet, has it?"

He nodded, "Yes but since you've already wrote the test so next set of _things_ should start soon."

Rachel teased, "Oh and what are these things?"

He smiled a little and turned to her, "I have to keep _something_ in wraps, right Rachel?"

_Can I get outta here?_

She tightened her fist below the table and Piper put her hands over it wordlessly. She gave a flawless smile to Percy though.

Annabeth envied how Piper could put on a perfect 'nothing affects me' face. She was just naturally outgoing and easy to get along with. She somehow got on to everyone's wavelengths and showed different sides of herself depending on who she spoke to. Annabeth didn't need to think twice to know how good of a partnership she and Percy would make.

Too bad she wasn't interested in him.

_Or is that a good thing?_

"Next eliminations would take even longer though. At least the ones based on classes. You'll need some time to keep things fair." He turned to Annabeth then, "This time Lady Annabeth may have an advantage. Lady Clarrise and Lady Reyna too."

Reyna asked, "Sports?"

 _No but I think I know what_ _._

"Something like that." As if on cue, he turned to Annabeth, "If you guessed it, don't say it to anyone."

"I didn't guess it." She lied.

Percy was clearly still cold to her but she wanted him to be. It made disliking him easier.

Surprise number 2 -- when she got back to her room, none other than Frederick was waiting for her.

Frederick _Chase_. Her father.

"D-Dad?"

Annabeth didn't know what to think of him. Before she could say anything however, she got an unnecessary one sided awkward bear hug.

"It's been so long!" He said.

"Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Oh come on, I don't need an excuse to see my own daughter!"

_Um... Do you need one to see her after months?_

The last _he_ came to see _her_ was during Percy's coronation, _nine months ago_. He was the Supreme General of Western Airforce in the military. The only _reason_ he and maybe 25 others were there was because they had to represent the military air force.

Percy probably had more meaningful conversations with Annabeth's dad than she herself did.

"Is --"

He waved it off, "No, she isn't here. You know how she is. She didn't wanna come."

"Bobby and Mathew?"

"They're with her. It's just me, Annabeth. I'm sorry."

She nodded and sat back on the bed.

He explained, "I have some meetings to attend here. I thought I'd drop by to see my princess after so long."

 _Y_ _ou didn't need to._

"Right."

They went onto an awkward silence and as if on cue, Malcom opened the door.

"Hey sis, mom wants you to finish the--" He stopped abruptly as he saw she had company. "Oh um.... Should I wait outside?"

"No Malcom, come in. I'm sure you know that this is Frederick Chase. Dad.. um.. this is Malcom, he works with me in the architecture department."

They shook hands.

"So.. Malcom, what did Athena want?"

She doesn't know if it's just her or if her dad's expression really does turn sour.

"Nothing important. It can wait."

Mr Chase turned to her, "Selection, huh? I didn't know you liked the Prince that way."

_Well, I don't know. Maybe if you had stayed--_

Malcom answered for her, "They make a good team. She and Percy."

_Why is he acting angry too?_

"I see." He looked curiously at photos on her daughter's desk. "Should I threaten him to not hurt my daughter then?"

He said it like one would say: _Take off in three, two, one._ No emotion. Just words. Fuck that, Frederick probably had more emotional connection to his non living aircrafts than living daughters.

Malcom didn't catch on though because he chuckled. "List of the number of people waiting to break his bones keeps increasing. Everyone wants to be first. Good I'm not in the competition I guess--"

"Dad, why are you really here? I mean I appreciate it and all but is there a reason?"

Mr. Chase sighed, "Your step mother keeps asking us to move to Hudson but now... Well, she's got a job there, Annie. My year's almost up too so I could fit in a transfer. We - We're going. And if this doesn't work out for you then you could always have a home far away from --"

Annabeth felt a cold fist curl around her heart.

 _They're moving all the way across the country?_ It was one thing being not welcome by your parent but still be possible that you visit anyday. It was another feeling left out like this.

"What about the house?" She reasoned.

He started speaking but Annabeth didn't need to hear to understand that they were going to sell it: the house that she still had a room in, the house in which she spent her childhood, the house that once her father and mother bought as a symbol of their love.

"-- You understand, don't you?" Mr. Chase pleaded, "We need the money and I don't see --"

She cut him, "I get it, dad. I get it. When are you leaving?"

"In a week."

So in a week, all the memories, feelings and promises make there would be thrown away. In a week, Annabeth would officially have nothing to return to. It was as if they wanted to erase all existence of Annabeth's mother from the place. In a way, they wanted _her,_ his own _daughter,_ out of the equation too.

Annabeth had had many memories of feeling unwanted in her life but this just hit like a dagger through her heart.

.......................

Later that day, Piper was sitting with the other Selected in the common room when Annabeth came in. It was the first time when Queen Sally was sitting with them too.

Annabeth didn't even ask her before grabbing her wrists and walking over to the Queen.

"What are you doing?"

"Come on! Let's talk to Sally."

_What?_

_Oh no._

_Annabeth did not just suggest talking to the Queen, of all people._

She dragged Piper over to the Queen no matter how many times Piper said she'd pass out and die. Few Selected watched them.

Piper did the decent thing. She bowed. "Good evening, your highness." Her voice was so low, it could have qualified as background noise.

The Queen didn't even look up from her newspaper.

"Hello Sally!" Said Annabeth.

Miss. Willow widened her eyes from behind the Queen and looked like she tasted something sour.

"Hey Annabeth! How are you?" The Queen smiled at Piper, "And you are?"

_Huh? Wait what? What was I supposed to do? Right, bow, wish._

She bowed again. "G-Good mor-..noon-..er-evening, y-your highness. I'm Liper." Her face scrunched up, "Piper. Piper. I mean I'm Piper."

_Nope, I did not just forget my name. No._

Annabeth looked like she didn't want to laugh.

"Hmm.. Lady Piper. I've heard about you. Please, take a seat."

Annabeth sat in front of Sally without an invite and dragged down Piper to make her sit.

"H-heard about me?"

She waved it away, "Oh, don't worry. Only good things."

"How are things with the military?" Asked Annabeth.

Piper didn't know much about the situation at hand but it must be bad because Queen's face fell. "Not good. We're expecting a retreat with a new plan though. All planning is done. Now we have to wait for results." She forced a smile."What about you girls? Is Percy treating you well?"

Piper nodded but didn't speak up.

The Queen smiled at her, "I'm not gonna kill you for talking you know? I've been sitting here for the past 2 hours and no one comes to talk to me! How am I supposed to get to know you girls if you're all so scared of me?"

Annabeth laughed openly which got her a few glares. "You do look intimidating sitting here reading newspaper as if no one else is in the room."

_That's true._

"Oh really? Why didn't someone tell me this before?" She looked at Miss. Willow and back at Annabeth. "What do you suggest I do then? Should I go and talk to the girls?"

Piper wanted to say something but it came out as, "Oh no." Annabeth nudged her. "I don't think that's a good idea, your majesty. Imagine I tell someone off for nudging me and find out it's the Queen." She looked at Annabeth.

"I suppose that's --"

The Queen stopped speaking as they heard a knock on the door. It was one of Percy's guards. Piper may not have been around enough to know everyone's names like her friend did but she remembered this guard as Jason's partner.

That made her eyesight suddenly better. Was Jason here?

"The Prince is requesting permission to enter." He said.

The Queen nodded.

Piper felt glued to the sofa as she stared. Percy was wearing a maroon suit which surprisingly looked really good on him. His thick hair looked like he just ran his hands over it a few times. Oh, don't misunderstand. _Percy_ wasn't making Piper feel pinned to her seat.

It was Jason who did.

It was the first time Piper saw Jason in regular tees and jeans. If he looked good in the guard uniforms with about 95% of his skin completely covered... Gods, he looked amazing in regular cloths.

_Yeah, that makes complete sense. Percy, the freaking Prince of the damn country is in front of you wearing a well tailored suit but you're eyeing his personal guard._

_This is wrong. Completely wrong._

Annabeth didn't seem to be in half the daze she was in, which was surprising considering Percy was looking like chocolate about 10 feet away from her. He nodded at his mom and the Selected started to get up and bow. Annabeth didn't move an inch though. She was still drilling holes to Percy's head.

 _J_ eez _Annabeth, it was one kiss. What are you gonna do when there are more?_

"Good evening to the Privileged. Please, quit the formalities and sit. All of you are required to assemble in the 4th floor meeting room number 17 after dinner today."

A few of the Selected started asking questions but Percy ignored them. "No questions. It has come to my attention that certain parts of your tests were not _assessed_ properly --"

_Is he staring at Miss. Willow? What am I missing?_

"-- No worries though. It's our job to ensure fair grading and eliminations aren't expected till this sunday anyway. Don't wander around the 4th floor. When in doubt ask the guards. We scheduled your next classes starting tomorrow but this may change plans. Either way, you'll assemble in the ground tomorrow after breakfast with sports dresses. Mr. Chiron will guide you through the next classes untill this _issue_ is resolved."

_Did he glare at Miss. Willow again?_

Piper looked questioningly at Annabeth but she looked clueless too. It was her selfish side speaking but she had to admit, it felt good to know that Annabeth didn't have any clue either. Piper always felt like a shadow next to Annabeth who roamed the palace like it was her home.

It kind of is, her mind reasoned.

More importantly, _it could be in the future too._

Piper remembered that morning when Rachel very subtly flirted with Percy. The look Annabeth gave to Rachel made Piper glad that she was more interested in Jason.

Annabeth never really put her heart on her sleeve but some things she allowed to be out in the open like : _I'm_ _a horrible enemy to make_ _._

Piper couldn't disagree.

..........................

When Annabeth walked into the meeting room after dinner without Piper (she was still eating), Percy wasn't there. Two Selected were though. Unfortunately one of them was Drew in a overly scandalous dress showing a lot of her hips and cleavage and another was Rachel.

Drew scoffed, "Hey sister in law. Didn't I tell you? Look at her. She looks like an oversized mannequin. No style. No curves." She touched her shoulder. "No skin."

Annabeth was wearing the exact same dress she wore for the original test.

Drew touched her hair now, "At least you have hair. Only, it's pale. Lifeless."

Just then a guard came to the door. "Next?"

Rachel stepped out but Drew put one hand on her. "I'm next, princess. This makeup doesn't last forever and my dress has been waiting too long. Bye bye." She walked to the guard who looked uncomfortable but didn't say anything.

Annabeth sat on one of the chairs. After a while to her utmost irritation, Rachel occupied the chair next to her.

"She's just tryna mess with you. If you stay quiet, she'll get off of you."

Annabeth crossed her arms. "You don't need to tell me what to do. I can take care of myself."

She ignored her. "People keep asking and saying stuff to me too. I play dumb."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, "Was it hard?"

Rachel frowned but didn't back down. "Percy doesn't want to fight with you, you know? You're making things harder for him."

Annabeth got up, "None of your business."

Rachel looked away. "I said what I wanted to say. Even if it is hard. You should too. It's that simple."

Thankfully, Annabeth didn't need to retort because just then, they saw Drew leaving. Rachel got up and started walking to the door.

The guard nodded at Rachel. "Lady Annabeth?" He asked.

Rachel turned around, surprised. Annabeth replied, "Why? She was here first."

"Prince insisted you to come first, miss."

Rachel started to walk back but Annabeth said, “Then tell him to stop being a jerk then. I’m coming next.” He looked like he wanted to protest. “That’s final.”

“Miss, but…”

“Tell him I said so and don’t worry, he won’t scold. If he does, come tell me, I’ll slap him for you.”

“Okay…” he said, still reluctant.

In no time, it was Annabeth’s turn. Percy was holding a set of papers – probably her assessment- and standing in front of Miss. Willow, Councilwomen Hecate and Artemis. Miss. Willow stood next to Councilwomen Hecate and Artemis with a poker face better than Mr. D himself and that guy played a lot of poker. Percy once almost died when he called Annabeth as Alfer Chaksun. (Say it together then separately, you'll see what I mean)(But seriously, how is that a girl's name?). Annabeth also lost a big bet to him sometime and had to roam around wearing a suit decorated with grapevines. (Long story.)

To her surprise, Councilwomen Aphrodite was also present. When she entered, Aphrodite beamed at her.

_Oh no._

Aphrodite was one of the biggest – what do they call it? – cupid believers? That meant she loved setting people up and hearing love stories. Her idea of a love story isn’t your idea of one. Believe Annabeth on that.

Selection was basically her idea of an entertainment zone. Not the theme park or Disneyland kind. The race cars and sword-fights to death kind. 

As soon as they saw her, Hecate and Artemis crossed out something in their papers. _Was it just her or did she see Percy smirk at Miss. Willow?_

Their atmosphere wasn’t bright though. Still ignorance.

He passed his pages to her. “Lady Annabeth, that’s your final report. Please point out to anything that you feel wasn’t assessed correctly.”

Miss. Willow started, “Prince that’s not the procedur--”

“We also agreed that I’ll do this if I feel I forgot some parts, right?” He turned to the councilwomen. “Votes?”

They all nodded except Hecate who shrugged.

Annabeth didn’t look at him anymore. He stood right next to her now and she kept her eyes on the paper. The first description was of the dress. It told that she wore a cream color dress - correct - with a low neckline and lace hands - wrong. “The dress!”, she said.

Percy raised his eyebrows at them. “That’s taken care of. Anything else?”

Okay. Someone must have done some mistake because at least half of the information was screwed up. It said the arrangements wasn’t perfect, that balance was a complete fail, speech wasn’t completed well, etc etc.

Miss. Willow did this didn't she?

Annabeth wanted to shout at her but... The fact that Miss. Willow tried so hard but still her overall was just slightly below average gave Annabeth weird sort of pleasure. 

Like: _With a cheating paper, I still passed and you didn't get what you wanted._

_Oh and you made things worse for yourself._

While all others took maximum 10 minutes, Annabeth was there for a good 30. Maybe 45.

At some point Jason even vouched for her dancing and said that there were no mistakes on her part (definitely) and if anything, it should have been his mistake that the O to double infinite shift was messy as described in the paper- which in reality was perfectly smooth according to Percy.

How does Percy know anything?

Then, Annabeth thought: _Is he really blindly supporting me?_

Despite their recent argument, the kiss and everything else - Annabeth feels warm on the inside. 

When they were done and off record, Percy turned to Miss. Willow, tone harsh and commanding, “Did you really think you were gonna get away from something like this?”

He slapped the papers and looked at Annabeth’s eyes for the first time and she felt a weird sort of jolt like the one she felt before they kissed.

Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered. Even with the unfair marking, she still wouldn’t be too far down the line. Miss willow’s parts were negative but that still left the councilwomen’s positive parts. Of course, Miss. Willow was responsible for 50% but so what?

_Still, he vouched for her, blindly, and made up an entire fiasco of testing everyone’s papers just to get her justice._

He didn’t hold on the gaze though, which hurt her a little.

“There will be changes after this. Clearly you don’t take my warnings seriously. Lady Annabeth, you may go.”

She went to the doors but at last moment, she felt like she wanted to talk so she turned.

_We need to clear the air._

Percy was shuffling over the next set of papers, not paying her any attention.

“Lady Annabeth?” said a guard. “Miss, you can’t stay when another Selected is here.”

Percy turned his rotating chair little towards her. “Hey.” He said it like they were okay again and Annabeth wanted to believe it.

_Just for a minute._

“We’ll talk later, okay?”, she said.

Percy looked surprised but nodded.

Without thinking twice, without caring about around 10 people watching them, she walked back to Percy.

What do you think she did?

Hit him on the head of course!

......................

Spoiler: Next chapter is basically just Percabeth 95%.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THOUGHTS EVERYBODY. THOUGHTS.
> 
> How was it????
> 
> So yeah Percabeth haven't made up yet but we'll see.
> 
> Theories on LUKE LUKE LUKE.
> 
> Sad that Annabeth's family is moving away.
> 
> But...... major thing I wanted to askkkk... HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE TEST??
> 
> Happy reading!  
> love you!


	10. Way too much to wish for...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID I MENTION THIS IS THE BEST PERCABETH CHAPTER YET?
> 
> Because it is!!
> 
> And hey! July 12 - Happy birthday to Annabeth! Come on! I HAVE TO UPDATE FOR HER BIRTHDAY!!

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"Friendship and love are like two daughter cells of the same parent cell. Only, in different universes, with different stereochemistry and optical activity, but still, are complex complimentary roots to the same polynomial equation."**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Rachel Elizabeth Dare was a fighter. Just.. not literally.

She and her gang (she has no idea why they're a gang if they just want to keep discouraging each other) assemble in the ground in sports uniforms just like the Prince said. Thank Gods they had _uniforms_ because otherwise she doesn't know what some girls would have done.

She wasn't like that.

Mr. Chiron was waiting for them on one side of the ground but no one approached him. That's when Annabeth and her gang walked towards them. There were two different uniforms given to the girls: one was the classic cheerleaders uniform (but all in black) with a short skirt and a sleeveless top, the other was a crop tank top (which definitely showed some skin) with shorts. Annabeth was wearing the second version.

It's not like Annabeth needed to be self conscious though. She had actual _abs._ It wasn't too thick or defined but it was still _there_ which was more than Rachel could say.

Clarrise asked, "Why are we waiting?"

Drew said, "Not sure what the silly old man is doing there when we're all here."

Annabeth frowned, "He's out teacher. Show some respect. CHIRON!!"

A voice shouted back, "YES, MISS. WHO?"

"IT'S ANNABETH!!"

This is the part where Rachel (and pretty much everyone else, she guessed) felt left out. _Annabeth_ _knew everybody like she always belonged here._

For the first time, he turned around. "SO?"

She looked like someone ate her favourite chocolate.

_Lol, I bet she doesn't get that often._

Clarrise shouted, "WE HAVE A CLASS!"

Mr. Chiron replied, "YOU'RE LATE! ALL OF YOU."

The girls fell quiet.

Annabeth replied, "SA-- THE ROYAL FAMILY WERE LATE FOR BREAKFAST. WE CAN'T START WITHOUT THEM."

"EXCUSES. EVERYONE DROP AND GIVE ME 10. NOW!"

She grumbled something inaudible as she got to her knees. All the girls started to followed her and started the push-ups.

Here's a thing about push ups many books ignore - it is _hard._ Especially if you're a beginner. Rachel never in her life did sports related things. She was more of an art person. While few girls did finish it, Rachel could not get up beyond 4.

A new voice was heard, "WEAK! If you can't gimme 10 then LICK THE GROUND!"

Mr. Chiron spoke, "Okay, get up everyone. Today we'll be introducing the Privileged to BCSEs - Basic Combat Skills and Exercises. Then we will go on with archery, your first skill."

The other man, who was shorter, bellowed, "BOOORING! Come on! Let's have a fight!"

Maybe it was because this man actually had a say or maybe Mr. Chiron was deprived of entertainment but for whatever reason he called for _volunteers_ for a sword fight.

_Ridiculous, right?_

Rachel was surprised when three hands went up. Lady Thalia, Lady Reyna and Lady Clarrise. In no time, they were each having a sword. (Plastic but hard. Won't kill, will injure.)

Clarrise spoke, "Princess, we can't play with three. Join us."

Someone in the crowd nudged Annabeth out. If Rachel was in her place, she would have been bothered but Annabeth just took the sword like she finally felt at home.

 _O_ _f course,_ _this is Annabeth right? What am I thinking?_

 _It probably_ **_was_ ** _home._

In a flash, they dueled. Annabeth and Reyna on one side and Clarrise and Thalia on another. Rachel only watched Annabeth. She fought with Reyna with a stern look in her eyes, totally professional. When she won and went on to Clarrise, they shared a look which gave Rachel cold feet.

Sword blades flew around them like wind.

If Rachel had to describe it she would say that they fought like monsters. No mercy, no pity, just pure vengeance. At one point, Clarrise snarled and Annabeth groaned and Rachel wondered why someone wasn't stopping them yet.

The short dude said, "Finally! KILL!"

Rachel had time enough to think: _This place is crazy._ By then, Clarrise had knocked Annabeth down, pushed away her sword and pointed her own sword to Annabeth's neck. She smirked.

The look of vengeance melted. She gave Annabeth a hand and she took it, smiling. "Good game." She said.

 _How can someone go from 'you're my worst enemy' to 'sister, next_ _time'_ _in two seconds?_

The audience was in a daze.

Mr.Chiron blew a whistle. "That is how you fight AND don't fight. All of you started without stretching which can be really dangerous. Meet Coach Hedge." He pointed to the shorter dude. "Coach will oversee your training and will be responsible for behaviour and discipline."

Coach started walking around. "In this class you will be given proper training step by step. We will go on for a month with a schedule AND I'M TELLING YOU NOW YOU CAN'T COPE UP WITH IT IF YOU CAN'T EVEN DROP AND GIVE ME 10. I don't know WHAT idiotic test you've undergone through till now but REMEMBER! THIS is training! REAL training!"

He pointed at a few girls, "No makeup. No extra clothes. No less cloths. AND I DON'T CARE WHO MADE YOU STAY BACK, BUT YOU'RE EITHER ASSEMBLING HERE BY 9 OR GIVING ME 30 EVERYDAY! Understood?"

A few people grumbled something.

"I ASKED... IS. IT. UNDERSTOOD?"

"Yes." Said the Privileged, all together.

"Yes, what?"

"YES COACH!"

Mr. Chiron spoke, "There is no leave to this training unless you're eliminated. We will have a final exam but your improvement will matter more here. So fight. And concentrate!"

Coach bellowed, "And kill!"

Mr. Chiron shrugged, "Now that that's established, let's start with those stretches and... ladies?" He bowed and the Selected returned it, "Welcome to Camp Half Blood."

_................._

To say Annabeth was tired was an understatement. She was completely exhausted. She barely made it back up to her room after a very sweaty lunch. Coach made them run around the dam palace! He then asked them to repeat jogging and running before he called it off. They were asked to assemble at 4 in the archery arena next.

On top of that, they had to put on purple robes because it wasn't appropriate to wear sports dresses to royal meals.

As soon as she opened the room, she hit the bed, not even caring to wash herself.

_Which was a mistake because when Annabeth woke up at 3 pm after a post lunch nap, she was cuddling a warm teddy bear._

Wait a minute.

She didn't cuddle a teddy bear to sleep.

 _More importantly_ , she thought, _teddy bears aren't warm._

_Not stuffed ones!_

_S_ he opened her eyes in horror only to find a drooling Percy in her bed. He had one hand and one leg over her to secure her in place.

She went back to cuddling him.

She sighed, _this is nice._

The thought hit her like a train.

_Why is Percy drooling in MY bed?_

_Didn't we fight?_

She woke up completely and struggled to get out of his hold.

Dam Percy and his strength.

She slapped Percy a few times to wake him but he just mumbled meaningless words. She then shook him awake. "Get off of me!"

Percy took his sweet time to come back to consciousness. He brought Annabeth closer and mumbled something like "Hey, beautiful."

_Heartbeat._

"What?"

"Why? You do look beautiful." He touched her blond curls, " You look so much like..." He suddenly moved away, "A-Annabeth? What are you doing here?"

" _I_ should be asking _you_ that. What the hell was that?" She sat up.

"That... Um... was... Ah... Ne-Nevermind."

Her cheeks burned in realization.

_Oh Gods, Don't tell me it is what I think it is._

"Gods Percy", she sat up on the bed, "I did not just hear that. Dam it."

Percy scrunched up his nose, "Sorry."

She didn't look at him, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you wanted to talk. You were sleeping when I came in so.."

"So you decided to hop in my bed? Unbelievable!"

"I just lied down. I wasn't planning to sleep."

_I'm mad at this idiot and what just happened?_

He sat up too.

She sighed, "What did you wanna say?"

"You're the one who said let's talk."

She looked away.

"So you _don't_ wanna talk?"

"If we promise no lies."

He frowned. "I'm not lying about EVERYTHING, you know?"

She folded her hands, "Okay then."

"Is this still about the kiss?", he looked away, "Look, I didn't wanna kiss Rachel, okay?"

_How dare he... Seriously?_

"Oh yeah?", she spat. "Really, Percy? You think I'm a fool?"

He snorted, "Annabeth you don't even believe what I'm --"

"Of course I don't believe what you're saying! If you really didn't wanna kiss her then WHY did I see YOU leaning against HER door and doing _just_ that?"

His eyes widened and he went silent.

_That's what I thought._

"Then no, Percy. I DON'T wanna talk."

"And I don't wanna fight!", his voice came out pleading and made her look at him.

"I said things I didn't mean", he rubbed his eyes and stretched himself back on the bed. "Will you please hear me out fully? I promise, no lies."

She nodded. _Okay._

"WHEN she kissed me, I wasn't ready for it. That happened like two weeks ago."

_Which makes Rachel one of the first people to get a date._

_Maybe it was true- that rumor that he visited her first that day when he planned to talk to everyone._

"What you saw..."

_Right, it was recent._

He continued, "I wanted kiss you. Alright?" He blushed, "I wanted to kiss you first but well... that didn't happen so..."

She sighed, "I got irrational too and you're right. I'm sorry, okay? But..." She gestured aimlessly, "You don't have to tell me anything Percy. It's true."

"No.. Annabeth... I want to, believe me, I just don't know if it is the right thing for you. You saw how you reacted."

_I mean it. I want to say something to somebody, preferably my best friend. What if I hurt her though?_

She turned to look at him, "Then tell me! Seriously. I wasn't thinking straight. I shouldn't have shouted at you. But just... I'd rather hear it as best friend Annabeth than Selected Annabeth."

_Really?_

She read his mind, "Really. I mean it. What happened to friends before the world huh? Selection doesn't change that I'm your best friend", she squeezed his shoulder, "Friendship is our strong foundation. No matter what."

_Wow._

_Even after all this?_

He moved his hands so one balanced him on the bed and another tucked her locks behind her ear. "Annabeth, I didn't mean that. You're NOT just another Selected to me. You're my best friend so yeah, you can be angry when I lie."

Percy thought Annabeth is gonna punch him but what she did surprised him even more. She kissed him.

"Thank you for saying that. It has been bothering me."

Percy felt guilty so he teased, "Whoa! Sorry and thank you from Annabeth on the same day? I should mark the date."

 _Idiot._ She pushed him away, "Seaweed Brain!"

"How are your dates?", she asked casually.

_Oh really?_

Percy smirked, "Very forward huh? It was... nice actually"

"Mmm hmm"

"But... to your actual question... No, I didn't kiss anyone else."

"You said it. I didn't ask." She adjusted herself on the bed and laid down next to him, using his right hand as pillow. If he was uncomfortable with it, he didn't tell.

"Sure you didn't."

_Can I ask too?_

"What about you?"

"What?"

"You know... Walking in the gardens... Showing friends around."

"It's great because not everyone knows this place. I wish I could see the palace from an outsider's view sometimes. This is not the first time I showed someone around by the way."

"Oh", he frowned, "who else did you show around?"

"Piper, when I sort of introduced her to the gang. Thalia too, that wasn't me though, Piper insisted she needs to spend time out of her room. Clarisse and Tracy too."

Percy chuckled, "If it is just girls you're showing around, I don't see any problem"

"What do you mean just girls? They're sort of friends. Selected too!! Wait a minute...", she looked surprised, "You're jealous, aren't you?"

"What? Pfft, no"

"You really are", she smiled teasingly, "Now I get why you were so rude to Luke. Oh boy, this is funny."

"Whatever, so how was it?"

_Oh my gods Percy._

_Well, looks like we're sailing in the same boat after all._

"Me and Luke? We were just catching up. Seriously Percy, there's nothing like that. I don't see why you should be jealous when you're the person dating 24 others!"

He pouted, "I'm not jealous."

Annabeth laughed.

"Yeah yeah, laugh at me. Just remember that I'm basically the Prince and this Prince happens to be free on Friday evenings and so he is taking you to a private rooftop dinner this Friday.", he said it a little too fast.

_Smooth._

"Huh?"

"Date? Friday at 7?"

_I should have followed the initial plan and just carried her over. This is hard--_

Annabeth stared at him, "Do I have to dress up?"

"Preferably."

"Okay...", she bit her lip making Percy want to kiss it again.

To distract himself, he asked, "How was your speech?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and pushed his shoulders away, "Oh you should know, shouldn't you?"

_Wow, did Annabeth really catch up?_

"Mmm hmm", he teased.

"I'm hiding that stupid crown. Good luck finding it."

He clicked his tongue, "Then you just fined yourself according to your speech."

She looked confused. "How did you... How do you know what I said?"

He frowned teasingly, "Annabeth..." He smiled. "I was there, right? Didn't you figure it out?"

"Figure what out?"

"The mirror. It was a see through. Mom and I watched the entire thing."

_Oh---_

_Wait--_

Her mouth formed an 'O'. She suddenly pushed back, keeping one hand on his shoulder blades. "Wait... So you didn't trust me?"

"Huh? Of course I trust you... What's that to --"

_She felt that warm feeling from yesterday wither away._

"So you didn't blindly vouching for me like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I thought you believed everything I said! I told you we'll talk because I thought you believed me and I don't know --"

Annabeth started to sound irritated and moved up but Percy put his arm around her waist and dragged her back down. "Wise Girl, what are--"

"No, Percy, you don't get it. If I didn't think that then we'd have never talked now--"

"Backup... you're mad because we made up?" He was irritated now.

"No I just.."

He sighed, "Wise Girl, look at me. Does it matter how things happened?"

_But--_

She didn't answer. She just went back to cuddling him with a frown and Percy decided to let it go.

 _It matters how they happened, of course, but not more than the fact that they did._ He was glad that they're talking now. _Is she not?_

They stayed liked that, silent, half cuddling, but Percy thought it would be better if she just laid on top of him because she was pushing his stomach abnormally.

After a while, it got too hard to ignore the pressure on his right side. "Hey.. one second.." He adjusted her so that one of her legs was thrown around him. This way, the weight was more uniform.

She made a move to get up but he just held on tighter. "It's okay just... don't put your weight on my stomach."

She sighed, "You shouldn't give me dress ideas, you know? That was cheating."

"Really? Okay then tell me what were you gonna wear?"

_I bet it was the exact same thing._

"I'm not boring okay?!!"

"No it's not that. I just didn't want anyone to change your idea last minute. Just... to be on the safer side. Miss. Willow takes the report to the council."

Annabeth paled at that, "What?"

"Yeah, I know, but don't worry too much. A lot of people are on our side. For some reason, Athena doesn't approve us though."

"You missed the part where council suddenly pokes its nose inside the Selection."

"They're here to find out the real ones I guess. It's just... rules. We need to go through them for eliminations and things that are publicized."

She sighed.

"Imagine how I'm feeling. This is supposed to be my life."

"Percy, listen. I want to do this the right way. I know I'm not the best princess material but I'm trying okay? I want the council and Willow and whoever else to approve because I genuinely deserve it. I'm supposed to train myself to take half of your responsibility, not give half of mine. So, at least as a test, to see if I am fit to be queen.... I want to do it on my own feet, so, trust me."

She held his head in her hands, "Please, let me do this for you."

_Wow okay. I seriously wonder how I didn't fuck this up between us yet. Wise Girl..._

"Okay." Percy really kissed her his time.

She followed him without stopping in-between. After two or three long pecks, he smiled the first real smile since their fight and she found herself agreeing with him - _doesn't matter how._

_Little more?_

She pressed her lips to his till he stopped smiling and he responded by throwing his hands around her neck. It was slow and sweet like they were both communicating unsaid apologies.

Cautiously, he moved one of his hands to her back as he softly put the other hand on her jaw and used his thumb to open her lips a little more. He tilted his head for a better angle and--

Suddenly, the door flew open and Crystal came in with her eyes closed, humming a beat probably from the headphone she was wearing. "Hey sleepy, what do you say tonight we surprise Perseus with --"

Annabeth reacted fast and got up. Percy realized that she just made things worse and that position would look even more embarrassing so he sat up too, holding her. Unfortunately, their legs got tangled in the movement and she winced.

Julia froze next to the door. She did a deep bow, "Your highness."

Crystal opened her eyes just then and they widened. "Oh Gods, I'm s-so sorry, your h-highness!" She did a deep bow too, which was funny because her headphone almost dropped.

Annabeth frantically tried to untangle their legs.

Percy winced. "No, you're making it worse." He expertly put one hand around her waist and flipped them over so she bottomed. He then easily pulled away his legs, caressing hers in the process.

Annabeth blushed, completely frozen.

Percy criss-crossed his legs and sat on the bed. "Perseus? Who let you call me Perseus?" He accused.

Crystal looked horrified. "N-No No your h-highness. It will n-never happen a-again. I-I swear." She bowed again.

Percy frowned. "Annabeth!" He accused again.

She grinned and got up too. "Did I forget to mention he hates that name?"

Crystal and Julia glare at her.

He gets up from bed and does a formal half bow before offering a hand to Crystal and smiling.

_Oh you tease._

She timidly shakes his hand. "I prefer Prince but if you like, you can call me Percy. No Perseus though. You are?"

"Cr-Crystal", she said simply.

He then moved to Julia and did the same. Annabeth had never seen Julia this shy before. "And you?"

"Julia Wade", she said.

He beckoned her inside and she squirmed her way in, never looking at him.

_Leave it to Percy Jackson to woo the girls._

"Well Miss. Crystal and Miss. Julia. It is time for me to leave. Next time, okay?" He looked at Annabeth, smirked and raised an eyebrow as if to say: _See the effect._

She rolled her eyes and threw a pillow at him but it hit the door. "Get out you idiot."

As he went back to his room he thought: _She_ _is right._

_Friendship is our strong foundation._

_No matter what I start feeling towards you, we were friends first and that doesn't change._

_I just wish we could be friends and the nation would love you._

_I wish we were friends and you would be the best queen among them all._

_I wish we were friends and we fall for each other._

_And I think that all of it together is way too much to wish for.._.

............................

After hours of 'training', Rachel was finally happy with one thing: Archery.

Why? Because sure, Annabeth was pretty much good at everything. In the morning, she had finished jogging and running before everyone else. She almost immediately started walking upside down when asked. She knew every stretching technique. (Mr. Chiron at one point told them to follow her.)

Honestly, Rachel didn't even need to start swords to tell how good Annabeth was going to be at _that_.

The one thing Annabeth sucked at was archery.

No matter how many arrows she shot, she never scored anything beyond 30 out of 80 and Rachel surprisingly did better.

Weirdly, there were stark differences between classes at the palace and at Camp Half Blood. That is, apart from the obvious 'comfort room' vs 'roasting in the sun' part. While they were hardly allowed to talk in Miss.Willow's classes, even shouting snarky comments across the ground wasn't a problem here. Rachel was sure there was some definition of 'kill' she missed out because coach shouted it at least once in every five minutes and he looked so happy about it.

So yeah, between thinking _this place is crazy_ and _the coach is mad_ , she knowingly or unknowingly overheard Annabeth and Piper's conversation.

Annabeth was replying to something Piper said, "-used to it, I guess. We've all gone through it many times."

"You mean all of the gang has?"

"Most of us are guards so yes but no, not all of us. Some ppl just dragged me in. It gets better with time."

"I don't see it. Aren't we here for being princesses?"

"Hey! What's more important than self-defen--"

"Ah! How do I hold this thing!! It never reaches--"

Annabeth chuckled, "You're asking the wrong person."

Piper laughed. "So have you fought with tiara?"

_Fighting with a tiara? What?_

Annabeth gave a distant look. "Huh?"

"Sword fighting."

"Oh yeah. Jason too."

Rachel doesn't know who Jason was so she doesn't understand why Piper suddenly looked interested.

"Really?"

_Is that envy?_

"Yeah. Fighting with Jason is harder. With tiara we have moves but no real strategy and easy distractions. Jason has too much strategy but that can be a weak point too. If you keep fighting, you can eventually lead him to make a mistake. Just takes little longer. He's just all about rules and no creativity."

"Right."

_Is Lady Piper jealous or something? Or is she disagreeing with her?_

_I can see why._

Annabeth said, "I have a date on Friday."

Piper shot an arrow so out of line that it hit Lady Kayla's target and scored a 40 on 80. Coach slammed what looked like a tattered baseball bat on the metal railings. "You just wait until Wolf Lupa takes over! She won't think twice about beating you!"

Rachel didn't know who this Lupa person was but she really hoped he didn't mean an actual wolf.

Piper shout out a sorry and turned to hit Annabeth. "A date!!? WHY are you saying that like: Hey I just ordered hot chocolate? Didn't you tell me just this morning that you were fighting though?"

_How can Lady Piper be excited for Lady Annabeth's date?_

Annabeth giggled. "Yeah we sort of made up... I guess."

_Rachel wanted to say she was happy for Percy. She couldn't though._

"What _sort of?_ What happened in.. 3 hours?"

She laughed. "No... It happened... in about 20 minutes."

Piper literally dropped her bow down and already muttered sorry before coach could say anything. Rachel glanced at her and found her cheeks red and eyes wide.

"YOU DID NOT!" She clapped her free hand over her mouth, "I mean ... Did you two..?"

"WHAT?" Everyone around looked at Annabeth as she hit Piper with her bow. "NO! Piper! What the hell!"

"This is why I always insist on details. Gosh, you almost gave me a heart attack." Piper sighed in relief and Rachel wanted to do the same.

_She wouldn't._

_She couldn't drop that low._

Annabeth must have been embarrassed too because she suddenly looked too focused on her bow and quiver.

Rachel shot again and got a 50 on 80.

Piper suddenly whistled. "Whoa Annabeth! Bull's eye!"

_What now?_

Annabeth snorted, still distracted, "I wasn't aiming at all."

 _Does it matter_?

......................

Percy didn't know what he was expecting.

Did he wonder if Annabeth would wear a big gown and Percy won't be able to get close? No. That's unlike her.

Will she wear something that covers her from head to toe because she knew it was cold outside? Likely.

Or, maybe she'll ignore the whole dressing up? Chances.

But, what Percy _didn't_ expect was _this._

When he went to her room at 8 30 (late because of her class), he was greeted by a covered in black overcoat Annabeth. It ran all the way down her legs and arms so Percy couldn't even guess what she was wearing. He noticed the bright red lipstick and the almost free hair but chose to remain formal and not question it.

He was extremely pleased to see her trail her eyes over him that he completely forgot that it was a two way road.

"Done staring?", he asked.

She gave him an bored look, "You're dreaming Percy. I won't be the one staring tonight", she liked their arms and started walking.

He should have took her warning and prepared himself.

He didn't.

They reached the terrace and Percy overlooked the city view. Annabeth finally took off her overcoat and sat on the chair that he took out for her.

Percy felt like he was momentarily stuck in time.

She was wearing a lace material that had a deep V neck, a designed, but still in lace, full hand and a running lace material with a deep cut to show her tanned legs - that too, all in red. This was _nothing_ like the dresses he had seen Annabeth in and that was a shock in itself. To top it off, she looked confident and not shy which was totally unlike what he had imagined.

That thought alone sent his heart on a 10 mile run.

He didn't _want_ to stare but he found himself doing just that.

 _Stop,_ his mind said.

 _I want to,_ he argued.

She smirked, "Done staring?"

He coughed and literally hit his thigh to stop, "Huh? Yeah"

Annabeth laughed, "I warned you."

"You did", he admitted.

Mr Brain looked at Mr Mind to say : _No, I'm not gonna kiss her. Not like this. You're supposed to be a gentleman today!_

Mr Mind replied: _Imagine_ _running your hands over_ _that--_

_I said shut up!_

_Or think of how sweet ---_

_SHUT UP!_

She asked, "What's with the oven?"

"Huh?"

"The oven, Percy", she pointed to her right.

Percy turned his head from where he stood, apparently frozen. "Oh yeah... I know I said rooftop dinner but I just had a different idea last minute.."

Annabeth crossed one leg over the other, showing it off even more, "Yeah?"

_That's what I'm talkin---_

_Is Annabeth tryna kill me?_

Percy gulped. "I-I thought we c-could make pizzas"

"I see", she bit her lip slightly.

 _Gentlemen don't ignore_ _\----_

His cheeks started to burn, "Stop distracting me!"

"I'm distracting you?"

"No, not you! I mean yes! --"

She leaned forward slightly, placed one hand on her thigh and looked up at him.

 _Yeah, she's definitely tryna kill me_.

_First, she complains that she didn't get a formal date and now that Percy is trying to be the gentleman, she's riling him up._

His voice suddenly came out low, "Don't"

She smiled, satisfied, "Don't what, Percy?"

Percy stared at her. Don't what? _Don't make me wanna kiss that--_

_Okay, change the topic._

"Annabeth!!", He whined.

And just like that, her reaction changed, she got up, laughing, "Okay okay, Where's the base and sauce? Lets get started."

Percy opened the one big plate cover (😂 **what do you call this?)** in the table to reveal the pizza base, already lined with sauce. He went to the other side to bring all the ingredients (which are kept in different plates in another white table).

_Breathe in, breathe out. You're supposed to woo her tonight but something else is happening._

He dragged the table along and mentally cursed himself. When he turned to look at her again, he pushed the table a little too much, out of mild shock, and the utensils cluttered.

She's showing her back to him.

_Literally._

He realised that the _dress_ she's wearing was also backless. Well.., not _entirely_ because it had strings going from one side to the other but it doesn't leave anything to his imagination. For all practical purposes, it _looks_ backless till her hips.

Annabeth turned to the sound, "What happened?"

"Nothing. Just pushed this thing hard." He dragged the table closer to her.

"Lets make a half and half. Green pepper, black olives, pepperoni, bacon, chillis on mine"

"Okay. I'm going with ham, pineapple, chillis, sausage and mushrooms."

Annabeth made a disgusted face, "What kind of a combination is that? Chillis and pineapple?"

"My combination! You wait untill you taste it!"

"Ah... No thank you."

They put a layer of cheese on top of the pizza sauce and arranged their ingredients on their respective sides. Annabeth poured tomato sauce in stripes over her side and Percy copied her but with pizza sauce. She sprinkled salt, pepper while Percy randomly read funny sounding masala names and randomly added them.

She sat on the chair with him standing next to her, too lazy to pick up the other chair. He started eating few ingredients. Annabeth elbowed his thighs and opened her mouth, indicating to feed her.

_Percy almost chokes on another thought first though._

_Get your head out of the gutter._

_How is she not even a little fazed?_

He fed her the pineapple. Not able to resist, he stood behind her and squeezed her shoulder.

"No Percy, we're not adding the extra cheese"

"How is me squeezing your shoulder signal for extra cheese?"

"Okay then, no extra cheese."

"Uh.. I didn't say that."

She rolled her eyes, "What else do you want then?"

_You?_

"So me touching you is indication that I want something?"

"Either that..", she dragged out and frowned, "Or you're gonna do something stupid or you're nervous. Why are you nervous?"

_Or I'm riled up but I don't think you know that yet._

_How do I get outta this smoothly?_

Percy smiled wickedly, "I'm not nervous". He stuck two pepperonis with sauce to her eyes and added the extra cheese while she struggled to make the burn go away.

"What the hades, Percy?"

He laughed, "The wash basin is that way."

While he waited for her to come back, he put the pizza onto the oven. He sat back down in his chair (which is no longer connected to the table) and felt someone slap his cheeks. He realised that Annabeth had stuck two big leaf like things from the ingredients to his face.

_Who the Hades adds leaves to their pizzas?_

"Hey!"

"You did it first!", she stuck a bacon to his forehead.

Percy grabbed hold of the olives and stuck it randomly on her face. He then took the sauce bottle.

"No! No Percy, the dress! No liquids!"

He laughed. Annabeth grabbed his wrists, giggling, and sat on his lap in an attempt to control him. The motion dragged their faces too close.

Annabeth was still looking gorgeous with her hair now lose and spread all over, make-up ruined except for the lipstick and dress... Gods that dress. He realised that she's _sitting_ on his lap and his heartbeat picked up in a way that had nothing to do with nervousness. An olive dropped down between them when Annabeth giggled and that's it.

Percy lost it.

He grabbed her neck roughly and brought her lips to his and when they kissed, Percy felt like his brain was melting into his body and turning into fire. It was, in one word, rough and the fact that he hadn't eaten anything just made it worse. However, Annabeth was still giggling into their kiss and Percy felt annoyed. She pulled back too early.

He frowned. "No, again", he breathed it out.

He snaked one arm around her bare (almost bare) back to rile her up as he connected their lips again. For a second, he was scared that he went too far but it worked, Annabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and finally kissed back.

Feeling adventurous, Percy dropped the hand that is holding her neck and rested it on her bare thigh. Just when he tried to deepen the kiss, Annabeth swatted his hand away, "No, you can't touch."

"Hey! you can't wear a dress like this and tell me to not touch. Not fair, Wise Girl."

She got up rolling her eyes and went to check on the pizza. They still had good time left before it was done so Percy played soft music and held out his hand.

"Let's test those classes."

Annabeth took his hand, "You'll be surprised at how well I'm doing, your highness."

He rose an eyebrow, she never called him that unless they were arguing but it didn't sound spiteful at all.

_It almost sounded flirty._

_Great._

_Kill me already._

Annabeth rested her head on his shoulder and Percy prayed that his heartbeat wasn't so obvious. "The view is amazing."

"Mmm hmm.. I haven't come here in months", he admitted.

She turned her head to look at him, "What about the other rooftop dates?"

"Oh I never brought anyone here. This place is sort of..."

_Special._

He wanted to say special but the words die in his throat. He didn't read Annabeth and she turned away again. After what felt like an hour the timer rung and she moved away to take out the pizza.

Percy was nervous about this part of the date. He thought he might skip it but it simply won't feel complete without it. He grabbed the plates and beckoned Annabeth to the attached room.

The room wasn't big, 80 square feet at best. It was dimly lit in an amber light. It had a glass bottom floor which showed the beautiful gardens below. The roof was glass too so they could see the stars. A blanket was spread around and it had two glasses.

"Wine?", she asked.

"Your favourite, I promise."

"Pizza and wine. Genius", she said sarcastically.

They relaxed on the blanket and started eating. The gardens were lit with multicolour lamps. They sky, with few stars, wasn't fully dark yet. It felt peaceful.

Annabeth broke the silence, "I wish I could bring Thalia here."

"Huh?"

"She's afraid of heights"

Percy handed over her glass, now filled, "Count me in, lets do it together."

She folded her arms around her legs and brought it to her chest. Percy's mind gave him a warning : _Just don't look. Think about pizzas, blue cupcakes. Don't drink. That is a horrible idea._

"Drinking on your dates, Percy? Naughty."

"I don't do this often. I don't trust my drunk self around people."

"What am I then? A potato?"

He rolled his eyes, "That joke is too old. I still don't trust myself but I trust you. You'll safely stop me before I do something too stupid."

"That's true."

They went silent.

"This is nice", she said.

"Hmm"

 _Do me a favour, when you reach hundred, you can look: One_ _sheep, two sheep, five sheep, ten sheep..._

She sighed, "You deserve it, Percy. After everything."

She lied down on her stomach and he followed, still trying desperately hard to not look at her. He wasn't sure if his body was ready to be around her when she looked like _this_ without it having a... um... _reaction_. He instead focussed on the multicoloured lamps far below them.

Percy frowned, "Why's that?"

"Well you basically run the country. Future king and all. You have so much work on your plate. Stressful day. You deserve a nice wine with someone who excites you."

_Huh? What happened?_

Percy broke his mental oath and looked at her but the fact that he can see her better _this_ close up doesn't do anything to him. She looked sad, frowning a little as she twirled her now empty wine glass. It made him want to feed whoever made her like this to a monster.

He stroked her hair, "Are you gonna tell me what happened?"

She doesn't meet his eyes, "Nothing."

"Annabeth...", he forced her to face him, "You've not been yourself today, have you?"

_How did I not see this before?_

She didn't answer.

"Wise Girl..."

"Sometimes I feel I'm too vanilla for you."

He sighed, "If you think that looking like an eye candy and flirting is what I like then you're wrong."

She looked at him, "But you liked it didn't you? You liked it today. Don't lie, Percy."

"I did but what do you think would have changed if you were just yourself? I would have been less awkward. We would have done the same things. Well... Maybe I would kiss you a little later or little sweeter but that doesn't change anything.", He held her hand, "We can go at a pace that's comfortable for both of us."

"Don't the other Selected do this though? Isn't Selection about wooing you?"

"If they do it they do it because they want to. I don't want you to do things you're not comfortable with. Trust me, it feels way better when you get comfortable with it. You can always choose to woo me by kicking my ass."

Annabeth smiled, "I'm not uncomfortable. I just feel out of my element. Maybe too much."

He smiled too,"Start small then. Don't come to me wearing backless lace red materials in the first go. Seriously though, how are you not freezing in this?"

"That's what I'm wondering too. You see this skin colour thing on my legs?", she points to it.

He couldn't have seen it if she didn't tell her. It was such a thin lining, exact same colour as her skin.

"I have it all over. It is some sort of a heat retaining material. Supposed to keep me warm. I really don't feel cold except for my face and fingers."

"Woah, dress technology."

"Japanese invention apparently."

He waved it away, "TMI."

He stared at her neck **(not like that!, readers, get** ** _your_** **mind outta the gutter too).** He touched the red coral pendant on her necklace. "I like this on you. It matches with your dress too"

She looked down, almost longingly, "Yeah, I like it too."

_Percy wants to do it over. Did she like anything that happened today?_

Annabeth read his mind. She turned towards him and put one leg over his. "Don't worry, I liked the kiss."

Percy groaned in annoyance, "You do realise this is cue for me to touch you, right?" He doesn't though.

Annabeth smirked, "Wanna get hit again?"

Percy decided to hold her head in between his hands instead. Before he lost his confidence, he said, "I wanted to try something else."

"Yeah?"

"Copy me. We'll stop if you don't like it, okay?"

She nodded. Percy brought their lips together. He kissed her upper and lower lips a few times before tracing his tongue a little along her lower lip. He then waited for Annabeth to repeat it but when she did, he traced the tip of his tongue along hers. Annabeth made a small squeak and he pulled back.

 _Too much?_ He thought.

But she smiled at him, "Now this..", she guided one of his hands to just above her knee, "-is invite for you to touch." She smacked his hand. "Don't go up."

He grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

They did it again: once, twice, thrice, little bolder each minute before she pulled back, blushing, and he let go reluctantly. "That's enough, Seaweed Brain."

He finished with a kiss to her forehead. They sat together cuddling, enjoying each other's warmth. Before Percy knew it, the wine, the dim light, and the comfortable feeling of being with Annabeth made his eyes heavy, and he drifted to sleep.

When he woke, daylight was coming through the glass floor, and a boy's voice said, "Oh...You are in so much trouble."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Listen! Listen!**

**So... Remember when Percabeth fought, Percy told there was a gang meeting and he kept trying to carry Annabeth over? But of course, when Luke and Annabeth danced, Luke told her that the gang meet didn't happen on that day. So... Now see this...**

**Just after Percy asks Annabeth for the Friday date (in this chapter) he thought: _I should have followed the initial plan and just carried her over. This is hard--_**

**Got it now?**

**Oh and in case someone didn't get the reference, when Piper and Annabeth talked about fighting with a tiara, they meant fighting with Percy. Remember in the gang meet they make the password as TIARA GIVES BOOK TO SPARKY? Tiara = Percy. Book = Annabeth. Sparky = Jason. Note that these aren't the only code names they have for each other but well... I suppose everyone would think tiara is a girl, if anything and that makes it the best code word.**

**Happy reading!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAITING FOR COMMENTS!
> 
> First real date people!
> 
> Lol they kissed like so much in this chapter alone. 😂😅
> 
> Thoughts please! Thoughts!!
> 
> Happy reading and thank you for reading too!  
> Love you!


	11. It's just my luck, isn't it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!!
> 
> BRACE YOURSELF!

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~** _

_**"The greatest loss you can feel in your life is not grief, not heartbreak, not failure. It is abandonment. When you're abandoned, your heart breaks over and over again over someone who was naturally supposed to be there. And when you're abandoned by two parents as a child, you grow up feeling like a failure - now, that is something to live with."** _

_**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~** _

Percy had never seen Frank look as terrified as he did now, finding the two of them passed out in the glass bottomed floor.

"What...?" Percy rubbed his eyes. "Oh, we just fell asleep."

Frank swallowed. He was dressed in running shoes, dark cargo pants, and a Winter Olympics T-shirt. Frank averted his eyes as if the sight of them together might burn him.

"Jason thinks you've been kidnapped," he said. "When the royals find out-oh, gods, you've been here _all night_?"

"Frank!" Annabeth's ears were as red as strawberries. "We just came down here to talk. We fell asleep. Accidentally. That's it."

"Kissed a couple of times," Percy said.

Annabeth glared at him. "Not helping!"

"Annabeth... What are you... Nevermind, I'm not asking", Frank stared at Annabeth and Percy came to the realisation of what exactly she was wearing. He quickly put the blanket over her legs and glared at him.

"We'd better..." Frank pointed to the doors. "Uh, you're supposed to get to breakfast. Would you explain what you did-I mean didn't do? I mean... I really don't want the parents-I mean royals-to kill me."

Frank ran.

And Percy? Percy had a completely different reason why his face was as red as a tomato. It had something to do with two things: morning and dreams. It was hard to admit it but thank gods he had brought a drop-down overcoat with him. He made sure he stayed behind Annabeth and as soon as he exited the terrace, he quickly grabbed the coat and put it on.

Annabeth noticed and frowned.

Percy was blushing so much that his cheeks felt hot.

_She didn't see anything, did she?_

"I feel cold", he defended.

When everyone finally gathered in Percy's room, it wasn't quite as bad as Frank had feared. Jason was mostly relieved. Leo couldn't stop grinning and muttering, "Classic. Classic." Only Hazel seemed scandalised, maybe because wasn't 18 yet. She kept fanning her face and wouldn't meet Percy's eyes.

Percy was bummed that Luke wasn't on duty yet.

Naturally, Sally went dumbfounded; but Percy found it hard to take his mother's scolding seriously mainly because she was smiling the entire time.

Annabeth said, "It was an accident. We were talking, and we fell asleep."

Percy tried not to laugh. "It won't happen again, mom. I promise. Now, don't we have other places to be?"

Annabeth changed in Percy's room. It was too close to breakfast time so Annabeth going down from the third floor looking like she spent the night was probably not the best idea. Percy lent her one of his sweatpants and orange tee.

He figured they were all probably late anyway, so he told them that he'd take a bath and that Sally and Annabeth should go for breakfast. Thankfully they didn't protest and it gave him time to take care of his... problem.

He had put Annabeth's dress in a paper bag. He decided he'd leave it in her room when the maids weren't there. To his embarrassment, he had actually been running his hands on the material when his dad decided to burst in.

He frantically tried to shove it away. "Dad - what are you...?"

"Your turn with Estelle today, Perce. And..." He looked at his guards. "Give me one private moment with the Prince please."

The guards immediately gave a low bow and turned around in attention position but did no move to leave. Paul sighed, "Guess, that's all I get. Mom and I are taking care of most of stuff so we won't attend the second eliminations. Have you given the list yet?"

Estelle interrupted. "Dada Daddy... Up up!"

"Yeah, it's approved already. Just waiting for tomorrow."

"Up up up up"

"That's settled then. What about EE*65?"

She pouted. “Uuup”

Percy beckoned her over. "Baby, come here," he turned back to Paul, "I thought mom was handling the reforms..."

"We have too many cases in hand." He rubbed his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry I know this means less time for the Selection and all-"

"No, it's okay. Turns out Chiron is grilling them too much. They're all tired anyway. They had class till 7 yesterday."

Paul snickered, "I wonder what their reaction will be when they realize that it was all-"

Percy unconsciously did two mistakes: 1) When Estelle came towards him, instead of jumping on him, she started climbing on the bed and Percy left her alone. _That_ was a mistake.

She must have noticed something because the first thing she did was take out Annabeth's dress from the cover and ask, "Whatizzit whatizzit".

 _Fortunately, kids couldn't tell when their brothers went red_.

_Unfortunately, Step-dads could._

_Again, unfortunately, some_ _**stuff** _ _came back to his mind and he was so glad he hayet)taken care of things instead of avoiding them._

Percy immediately grabbed the bag and shoved things back in but the damage was done. He lifted Estelle and half-turned to his step-father. Paul's face was unreadable which was never a good thing.

He spoke in a diplomatic I-give-no-mention tone. "Is that one of the Selected's?"

_Is he angry?_

Percy scrunched up his nose. "It's Annabeth's."

And that, my readers, was the second mistake.

Paul's jaw dropped and his expression went from I-am-a-stranger to man!-where's-the-details faster than Leo. "Ooh..."

_He sounded just like Leo._

"GOSH, NO, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK. SERIOUSLY PAUL!" He looked away in embarrassment. "Where were you this morning??! We just finished explaining everybody!"

Paul was still smiling. "We??"

Percy blushed.

Paul continued. "I'm just messing with you. So, how was it?"

"Shut up!"

"I mean as long as you were careful... I guess it's-"

"DAD!"

Percy needs to wash his face. _In cold water._ FOR TEN MINUTES! Because if he goes down blushing like this, they'll think he has a fever!

"Okay okay." His expression turned serious again. "But seriously, you're not actually-"

"NO! GODS! You're forgetting that I hardly know them-"

Paul raised one eyebrow. "Well that hasn't exactly-"

Percy looked at Estelle, alarmed and raised his hand. "Hold and keep that thought to yourself. I still didn't get to breakfast. Did she eat yet?"

When Percy carried over an exceedingly over-curious Estelle out of his room, he noticed that Paul's guards were outside: _The Stoll Brothers AND The senior guards._

Judging by their looks, they heard it all.

That means Malcom will plan to kill him within this week, because, obviously, the Stolls would pretend that they heard things partly.

Better arrange a gang meet before things go out of hand.

_Where was Luke when Percy wished he was here?_

_.................._

They got stares from the Selected when Sally and Annabeth entered together. Annabeth, for what they can see, had an over-sized coat on. Although Selected won't be able to tell that it was Percy's cloths underneath, they could definitely tell it wasn't Annabeth's and it won't take long to put two and two together; so she took the safer route.

Piper rose an eyebrow as Annabeth sat down and she mouthed a "Later".

Sally spoke up, "Good morning to all the beautiful ladies! I believe your training classes have started ahead of time, thanks to you all learning the first level of things easily-"

Or the fact that 10 people were eliminated before we started but Annabeth chose to keep that opinion to herself.

"- Your etiquette lessons will continue but less frequently and the Prince will announce certain changes in regards to the recent events. From Monday, your training scores and improvements will be tallied and individual records will be maintained. You're allowed access to the ground and the arena between 8 am and 8 pm, even without classes, till the end of Selection, but your scores or the hours will not be counted in the official records. I need not remind you but no wandering around please. The third floor and above is still strictly out of bounds for any Selected-"

_Is she looking at me?_

She wasn't ready for more time in training. It was already exhausting enough.

"-That said, it's time for the bad news. Percy has already made his eliminations and you'll be informed by tonight. As usual, tomorrow during breakfast you'll be sitting in your own seat. Thank you."

The rest of the breakfast went silently except for Piper's shriek when Annabeth mentioned how she and Percy 'accidentally' feel asleep.

"Does someone care to tell me why she's wearing a coat to breakfast?" Asked Piper.

"Percy and I went on a date yesterday."

Piper grinned, "Details, details."

"Dinner." She started smiling too, "On the rooftop."

Piper clamped her hands over her mouth. "Oh my gods. How was it?"

Annabeth thought about it for a while. Everything happened so fast that she didn't get any time to put her feelings in place yet. "I did something stupid and Percy thought I was being serious. I felt so uncomfortable at first but eventually it was just us again. It was... great actually"

"What's with the riddles?"

Annabeth sighed. Piper was always an open person but Annabeth wasn't. She felt vulnerable sharing something like this. She wanted to though.

So, she did. She told her how the girls messed with her mind earlier that week, how she showed up in the most ridiculous outfit she's ever worn, how Percy took it at first but changed as soon as he knew she was uncomfortable.

Piper put a hand over her shoulders as assurance. "He's a good guy, Annabeth. You two have something. I can't explain it but I see it. Don't let the Selection get to you."

"That's the problem. I think it already has and how long has it been? A month? How did things get so complicated so fast?"

'Hey,' she said gently. 'Don't try to shut out the feelings. You won't be able to. Just let them wash over you and drain out again. You're scared.'

'Gods, yes, I'm scared.'

'You're angry.'

'At Percy for being an idiot,' she said. 'At the Selected for complicating everything, at me for being possessive.'

'At me?' Piper asked.

Annabeth managed a laugh. 'Yes, for being so annoyingly nice.'

"Hey!"

'And for being a good friend.'

'Ha!'

'And for having your head on straight about guys and relationships and Selection –'

'I'm sorry. Have you met me?'

Annabeth punched her arm, but there was no force to it. 'I feel stupid, sitting here talking about my feelings. We need to get to class.'

"Coach's killings can wait."

Annabeth smiled.

'Whatever happens,' she told Annabeth, 'I'm your friend. Just ... remember that, okay?'

She nodded.

Piper said, "That still doesn't explain why you're in a coat now."

"Oh that. I didn't get up soon enough so I had to improvise."

"Your maids let you sleep in? Mine literally carry me over and deposit me in the bathtub every time I don't get up."

"Ah... not that. Percy and I fell asleep on the picnic blanket."

"You did WHAT?" She said.

Few girls looked their way. "Shh... Piper!"

"Sorry but what?"

"It was an accident!"

"Bet my ass it wasn't!" She started to smile.

Miss Willow cleared her throat from behind them for Piper's cursing.

_Gosh, did she hear this?_

Piper smiled at her. "So, you're wearing this to practice?"

_Oh, that would give the girls a good reason to scowl at her._

_..................._

Piper, Annabeth, Clarisse and Thalia were walking together in the first floor corridor after lunch that day. 

Annabeth said, "So wait... You're telling me I have three friends among the Selected, all three of whom are not interested in Percy?"

Thalia smirked. "Don't worry Annie, I doubt we'd be able to convert you even if we tried."

Clarisse put one hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "Especially after last night..."

Annabeth shrugged her off her shoulders. "Grow up people!"

Thalia tried to not laugh. "Yes... You did, didn't you?"

Suddenly Piper's vision tunnelled. From the left, a guard came towards them- Jason. He extended one hand towards Piper's direction and she felt herself skip a beat. 

_What is he doing?_

Then he said, "Lady Annabeth." And smiled. 

Annabeth's face scrunched up. "What's this idiot? Cut it."

Piper felt her throat constrict at their easy interaction. _Why is he smiling so much?_

"MIRROR..." He looked at his watch. "NO, NO MIRROR. CODE MAGENTA, SIT POSEIDON'S THRONE."

"What's the occasion?"

"Brothers gave thee brother ideas."

Of course, none of the others understood what he said but Annabeth laughed. Since when did she have brothers?

_Since when was Jason this close to her?_

Annabeth must have noticed something on Piper’s expression because she stepped away when he tried to put his around her.

“What? My instructions were to drag you over.” He mocked.

“I can walk.”

She waved them goodbye and smiled apologetically at Piper. _At least she understood._ Piper doesn’t want to feel jealous; she just does. It is stupid; especially because Annabeth clearly explained to her that it is because they’ve known each other for long.

She sighed.

They would’ve gone maybe 4 steps ahead when suddenly a siren’s alarm wailed through the speakers.

“What’s going on?” Clarisse asked.

Jason and Annabeth instantly lost their mirth and looked around, tensed. They shared a look like ‘this is real’. Jason tried to approach the girls but Annabeth held his biceps. “Find Percy.” He hesitated. “Go. I’ll take care of Piper and the girls.”

Jason looked surprised and he nodded like he was embarrassed or thankful, Piper couldn’t say which.

He ran off towards the stairs and Annabeth ran to their right, beckoning the girls to follow her. They ran upstairs and Annabeth guided them towards one of the storage rooms. She clicked three or four panels in the wall and a brick opened up to show a letters panel. She took one quick look at the rest of them and typed ‘other’. The letters disappeared and she put her thumb on the panel.

A door opened to her right. Piper, Clarisse and Thalia rushed in and Annabeth pressed another panel from inside to close the door again. For a minute, they were in complete darkness and then faint lights came up. About three feet ahead of them was a staircase leading down.

Thalia asked. “Why did we run to the second floor if we’re going back down?”

“If the palace is infiltrated from the outside then the middle floors are safer to travel.” Annabeth replied.

Clarisse said, “And if it is from inside?”

She started walking downstairs. “Then I just gave away a safe-house. Be alert.”

They reached another corridor after climbing down several sets of staircases. Piper was lean so she could go through easily but this place was seriously narrow. If she was right then they were at least a floor below the basement. Annabeth paused at a turning for a moment, thinking, before taking right. She beckoned the girls inside a small room and closed the door.

“Don’t leave. Don’t trust anyone. Even guards. Password is Margaritas. If you see a Selected outside then let them in.”

She opened a big wooden box and cursed. “Wrong room.” She took out a bow and quiver with several arrows. “Stay here unless someone knowing the password says otherwise. Be alert girls.”

Piper couldn’t stay quiet anymore. “What’s going on?”

She sighed. “I don’t know yet. This is procedure. I have to go. Supplies are in the boxes. Figure the rest out.”

…………………..

"It is not the first time it happened. I don't know why you all are making a deal out of it." Said Percy.

Leo added, "Falling asleep next to the fireplace in an open camp with Estelle in between you two isn’t the same."

Percy rolled his eyes. "That was still when I was... you know. Shouldn't that be more concerning?"

"Not really. Annabeth isn't like that. Besides, half the time you were around her you were worried if she hates you."

"I wasn't", he denied.

Leo ignored him, "She didn't."

That’s when they heard the alarm go off.

Percy’s eyes widened and he ran towards the meeting rooms. Leo shouted at him about him being the most important royal and that they should follow procedure but he was hearing none of it. Only one idea was in his mind: _Mom._

_No, I’m not losing anyone again._

Percy opened the meeting room to find Sally. Tyson was hugging her. “Come on. To safehouse A. Who has clearance here?” He looked at the guards.

Just then Jason came in. “I do. Good you’re all safe. Percy, where’s Leo?”

Leo came in, panting, from the other entrance. “Here. Run faster, will you? I don’t know why you need-”

“No time. Jason, take them. I need to find Paul and the Selected.” Percy said.

“The king and the princess are safe. Stolls just told me that they’re taking them to A. I just gave Ethan clearance to take the Selected in. We should go to the safehouse Percy. If they’re attacking, it’s you who needs safety.”

“These girls trust us in spite of everything. I can’t just leave them. Assemble the Selected in saferoom A.” Jason hesitated. “That’s an order.”

Percy ran and Jason told Leo to take care of the other royals before following him. Together they reached the second-floor rooms and found many maids and few Selected outside their rooms. Percy shouted. “This is not a drill. Maids to your safehouses. Selected follow. Don’t panic. We don’t know the situation yet.”

That sounded like the exact reason _why_ they should panic but Percy didn’t give them enough time to. They quickly picked up anyone else who was inside the rooms. Percy grabbed a sword from a display and beckoned everyone through an all too familiar flight of stairs. After several turns, they finally came to safehouse A.

…………………….

Annabeth wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t alarmed either. No, she was confused.

She first scanned the corridors for any problem. Then went to the common room and helped the guards to guide the Selected to saferoom A. (Percy’s orders.) None of the guards had clearance for A there.

Weird thing is: she walked through the ground floor and the first floor and there was no problem. Sure, _everyone was alarmed_ : shouting, panicking, and running; but… there was just no reason to panic. No attack, no one with weapons, no shooting, not even smoke bombs- just nothing!

So yeah, she was confused.

When she finally approached saferoom A, someone from the inside asked for the password. Not willing to reveal it in front of at least 10 others, she used hand print instead. Needless to say, everyone else stared at her.

The door opened to reveal Jason. He looked at Annabeth and nodded. “I think she brought everyone else, Percy!”

Percy looked from where he was standing next to Drew. He nodded and went back to checking on everyone else. Annabeth tried to not look bothered about it. After Annabeth made everyone sit down in groups, she went to Percy. She noticed Thalia, Clarisse and Piper there too.

“12 on my side.” She said.

He nodded. “Plus you, and 12 on mine. We got everyone.”

_Shit._

“No. 12 on my side including me.”

He cursed. “Who’s missing?” He hardly looked around before saying. “Rachel.”

_Wow. How did he find out so easily?_

_Was he looking for her?_

“She could be in the gardens.” He said.

Annabeth couldn’t help it. “How do you know?”

He shrugged. “Artistic inspiration or something. I’ll go look for her.”

Jason joined them. “Percy, you should stay. We don’t know what weapons are out there. You should be safe.”

He glared at Jason. “I said I’m going.” He took one of the water bottles from the walls, washed his hands and drank a little of it. He then poured the rest of the water on his head and grabbed his sword.

_Where did Riptide come from now?_

Annabeth said, “I’m going too. The gardens are too big.”

Percy cupped her face in his hands. “No, Wise Girl. You should take care of the others. Let us handle this.” He looked right into her eyes like he was trying to convince her.

She used his words and shrugged herself out of his embrace, “I said I’m going.”

She was no damsel in distress and she wasn’t foolish enough to fall into Percy’s tactics.

“I said you’re not.” He pressed.

“You see anyone else here with as good battle training as me?”

He shook his head. “You don’t have a sword.”

“This is emergency.”

He pressed his lips together in disapproval. “You know the rules. You can’t.” He crowded her space again, “And I don’t care Annabeth. Not you.”

“Then not you either!”

“You’re impossible!”

“You too!”

“S.T.A.Y.” He looked at her again as he went outside. “I mean it.”

………………………..

Rachel was walking around in the gardens with her earphones on when she thought she saw something strange.

Did they have delivery services at the castle?

A delivery truck was parked inside the palace boundaries, right next to the guards’ wing. Rachel didn’t know much about the palace but she doubted if the royals would approve of this.

Especially Percy.

It was a fish foods delivery truck.

Whoever suggested this obviously didn’t know a thing about the Prince.

She laughed lightly and her music system died because of low battery. She sighed and pulled her earphones out.

Suddenly, her world became too quiet.

That’s when she heard it – the alarm.

Again, Rachel didn’t know much about the palace but she remembered this from her classes. If the siren does a stop-long wail-stop sound, then it was an emergency alarm.

_How long has this been ringing?_

Rachel’s mind clogged up. She didn’t know what to do. Should she run back to the palace? Should she hide here? In the end, she decided staying here could be really dangerous. Besides, any help was inside.

She quickly made her way across the grounds back to the palace, farthest from the delivery truck because that felt suspicious. When she tried to open the doors, it was closed. She banged them once, twice before realising this was probably the worst idea. Thankfully, a guard came from the other side.

“You must be in safe rooms! What are you doing here?” He opened the door.

“I just heard the alarm. Where is the safe room?” She asked.

The guard immediately pointed his spear at her. “Where? Who are you?”

Rachel raised her arms up to show surrender. She wasn’t the bad one here. “I’m Lady Rachel. Selected.”

The guard’s eyes widened, whether in shock or interest, she couldn’t say. “Ma’am, you’re supposed to… Well I don’t have clearance to know where. But some safe room. Please follow me.”

Rachel didn’t exactly have an option either way. It was either trust the guard or go on her own. She didn’t trust her battle skills.

The guard was lean but Rachel knew that if he wanted, he could have easily taken advantage of her or hurt her – which he didn’t – so that was a good sign. He guided her towards storage room. He opened a door inside it and guided her into a murky corridor.

_Were safe rooms supposed to be in congested corridors?_

“Go in miss. I will have to find out how to transport you.”

He closed the door and Rachel suddenly got doubts about this guy. 1) He had advantage here. 2) He didn’t look too genuine. 3) She was a Selected.

She had heard enough stories about people trying to take advantage of ladies to think they were all just stories. _Couldn’t be._ He turned around to face her and Rachel felt another wave of discomfort wash over her – _what was she thinking? Trusting a stranger like this?_

Just as she thought that, he cried out in pain and fell down. A knife struck painfully out of his sternum.

A voice talked from behind Rachel, giving her goose bumps. “Shh... you run and the next knife will go through your neck.” A cold hand closed around her mouth. “Very good. See? That wasn’t hard. Now follow me.”

He forcefully dragged Rachel around as she thrashed around. It was useless though. This guard was big and he had an iron grip on her waist and mouth. He opened the first door on the right and rushed in.

He pressed her back flush onto his front and Rachel felt sick. “Don’t do anything stupid and I won’t too.” He brought the knife to her neck. “Clear?”

She sobbed.

He grabbed her neck and showed the knife to her. “Is that clear?” He growled.

She sobbed and nodded.

“Good. You don’t run, nothing happens to you.”

He then pushed her to the floor and started looking for something in the shelves. Rachel noticed that he had kept his knife on his belt.

She played dumb.

“What do you think you’re doing? When my love hears about this-”

“Shut it. It’s not gonna work.”

“You don’t know who I am! My father is-”

He turned and held the knife to her throat again. “SHUT UP.”

She sobbed again, faking it this time.

He grunted and kept the knife on the floor this time.

_For a kidnapper, this guy sure is stupid._

Rachel took the chance and swiftly grabbed the knife. By the time he turned, she’d already stabbed him on his right shoulder and ran out. She ran out of the corridors, out of the storage room and into the palace when a sharp pain pierced through her lower left thigh.

She wailed and leaned on the wall. Every move she made left her crying out in pain. Something really sharp had pierced through her skin.

He spoke. “That wasn’t so hard, was it? What did I tell you? Stay still and nothing will happen.”

_This guy throws knives with his left hand?_

_It's just my luck, isn’t it?_

Rachel sobbed for real this time. It didn’t just hurt, it burned. She felt like acid was seeping through her veins. She couldn’t turn but she knew he was approaching. A dread like nothing she’d ever known spread veiled her mind.

_No escape._

She was weak, hurt and out of options. He grabbed her by the neck. “That’s not payback enough, don’t you thi-”

All of a sudden, something flew through the air and he screamed in pain. When Rachel looked back, two arrows were struck on, one to his chest and another to his right shoulder – by luck – exactly to the spot where she had stabbed him before.

She didn’t know why but the first thing she thought was ‘Percy’. She knew it wasn’t possible though. He must be in a safe room by now. This was one of the guards.

No one showed up for a second and Rachel panicked.

_Was this another intruder?_

To her relief, a girl came out of the shadows about 50 feet ahead.

To her utter surprise, it was Annabeth.

 _Wait, you’re telling me that_ she _threw these arrows FROM 50 FEET AWAY and it hit him and not me?_

_That too, two arrows._

_In one shot._

_Wasn’t she horrible at archery?_

In a second, she was next to her and she punched the guard on the face till he stopped moving.

Rachel gaped in wonder. “Aren’t you bad at archery?”

Annabeth snickered. “No thank you? No gratefulness for saving your life? That’s what you ask?”

Rachel was still stunned. “But…”

Annabeth took a look at her leg. “We need to take that out. You’ll hurt yourself if you walk with that.”

Suddenly Rachel’s leg felt numb. She leaned harder on the wall and hissed. “My legs… they feel…”

Annabeth was alarmed. “Shit, it could be poisoned.”

Annabeth had a lot of annoying habits – calling Percy out in between meals and making random conversation, having a gang of actual friends in between Selection, knowing the palace like…you get the idea. Rachel didn’t want to dislike Annabeth. She knew it was all because of the Selection. Maybe in another world, if these things weren’t bothering them, they could have been friends – assuming Percy wasn’t in the equation of course.

But this minute she purely hated her because Rachel didn’t know one of the annoying habits she had was removing knives out of hurt people without a prior warning.

She hollered in pain and glared daggers at Annabeth.

Annabeth scoffed. “I’m doing this for you.”

“Yeah right.”

Annabeth tore a long piece of fabric out of her grey dress and used it to cover her wound as she watched in amazement.

“I fake it.” Annabeth said.

“What?”, asked Rachel.

“The archery. I always hit right where I want to.”

Rachel’s face must have done something weird because Annabeth laughed. “Why?”

“You can’t let your opponent know your real weakness. So, you fake one. It’s a battle strategy. The gang has one each. I chose archery because I don't use it much. That's strategy too. ”

“So, Percy isn’t bad with memory?”

Annabeth tensed. “You’ve done your research, huh?”

Rachel noticed how she didn’t answer the question but maybe it wasn’t her place to ask at all. “So, you’re good at everything?”

Annabeth got up and helped her up too. “I’m good at weapons.”

Just then, Percy came running from the other end of the corridor. He paused, looking at the two of them and then frowned. “Annabeth! I told you to stay in the saferoom. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

“Yeah and you were late, Seaweed brain.”

He blinked and she moved forward. Rachel winced at the sudden movement.

“What happened?” He asked.

Annabeth passed Rachel to Percy as she bent down to look at the wound again. “I think there was poison on the knife. She shouldn’t move.”

Percy cursed something she didn’t recognize. Then, in one swift movement, he carried her on his arms.

Rachel liked it of course and Annabeth clearly didn’t. She started walking in front of them but Rachel stopped her. “You saved my life.”

“Yeah, well… let’s not make a habit of it. What are you _doing_ here, Dare?”

Rachel was surprised she knew her full name. Maybe Annabeth did her research too.

In no time, they were in the saferoom and Percy left Rachel to go check on everyone else. Rachel felt a weird sense of attachment to him. Someone named Will Solace asked her about the wound and gave her first aid.

Rachel watched as Annabeth and Percy argued in the other side of the room. Although, with those two, you could never tell – they could just be talking. Percy said something inaudible. Annabeth held his face between her hands and said something to which he looked away.

Rachel had to admit: even after Percy literally carried her over a long distance, she was jealous.

It’s just… Percy allowed Annabeth to touch him, like consent was obvious. She needn’t even ask. He never did it with any other Selected and there were only so many things one could attribute to their friendship. This felt like it was more than that. Rachel knew Percy would protest if she kissed him or something, though. That wasn’t appropriate with everyone (especially the Selected) around. But she wondered if he’d really protest from his heart or just his head.

She didn’t like the answer that her mind gave her.

………………

Percy and Annabeth walked over to the saferoom doors.

“Did anyone else get hurt?” She asked.

“No. Just scratches. It’s all good.”

She hesitated. “You saw it didn’t you?”

He nodded. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I thought it was a fake alarm and then Rachel…” He looked around. “I’m gonna go find out what’s going on okay? Why is Jason not back yet?”

She nodded, still tensed.

Annabeth walked over to Rachel who had just got fresh stitches from Will. Piper, Katie and Maria were with her. There was no bandage downstairs so it was still open and slightly bleeding.

“Should we clean the blood?” Asked Maria.

Annabeth nodded and grabbed one of the bottles from the sides. She passed it to Katie who poured it onto her dress fabric and brought it close to the wound.

Annabeth looked at Rachel. “This won’t sting much. We should make sure it doesn’t get infected.”

Katie pressed the fabric on the wound. Rachel cursed and wailed in pain. Surprised, Katie drew her hand away.

“Is that normal?” Piper asked.

Annabeth sat beside her. “No. Not unless it’s a fracture.”

Rachel shouted. “What the hades is that?”

Annabeth frowned and took the bottle. “Water, Rachel.” She opened the bottle and smelled it.

It smelled like ocean air. Curious, Annabeth brought the bottle to her lips and almost immediately spat the liquid out.

_It was water, sure, but it was salt water. Like it was fresh from the sea._

Piper followed and said, “Salt water.”

_Why exactly was salt water in bottles in saferoom A?_

_Did Percy drink this water before?_

Annabeth smiled guiltily. “That’s technically better.”

Rachel scowled at her.

……………………….

When Percy came back this time, he was with Jason, a few councilmen and councilwomen. Annabeth approached them.

Jason asked, “You okay, Annabeth?”

_Why was he so concerned?_

_It’s Annabeth bro,_ his mind reminded him.

“Yeah. What’s the situation?” She asked.

Jason shrugged. “False alarm.”

“But…”

“I know. The other guard who helped Rachel is hurt but okay. We still can’t find who attacked her. He had left by the time I went back. I should’ve brought him with us.” Percy said.

“Man, you had to help Rachel. It’s okay.” Said Jason.

Annabeth was at the front. She always was when it was just the three of them. Jason walked behind Percy, just in case. The three of them walked in the narrow corridors back to back and approached another, smaller saferoom. Someone was arguing inside.

Annabeth stopped in her tracks and Percy bumped into her. “Hey, Wise-”

What Percy heard made him stop in his tracks too. Annabeth paused for a minute and looked back at the two of them, as if accusing them of hiding this information but they were as puzzled as her. She looked confused, shocked and in panic.

She then ran towards that door and threw it open. “WHAT DID YOU SAY?” She demanded.

Percy knew that voice. That was councilwomen…

.........................

**Hahaha happy minor cliffhanger!**

**Anyway, What do you think Annabeth saw?**

**Oh and did anyone else catch the Easter eggs I'm placing so far because right** **about now, you should've gained enough info from reading between the lines to make solid theories.**

**Don't worry. When I reveal it, I'll explain it.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for liking and reading the story. Few previous comment's requests were done here. I hope you like them.
> 
> By the way, if you want any behind the scenes on any character or part of the story then don't hesitate to comment. I would love to tell you what went on in their minds (or background) as long as there are no spoilers.


	12. "Your boyfriend?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY GUYS! 
> 
> I know I was late this time! I got caught up in some academic stuff. Next chapter will NOT be late. I promise!
> 
> Hope you liked the story and hope you hate this chapter!  
> Why?
> 
> Read on, will you?😁😁
> 
> AND, I can't tag you because you're an anonymous commenter but mentioning Joanne because she guessed the Athena part correctly.  
> (P.S. I am assuming you like to be called she, if I am wrong please correct me.)

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**“Be careful of love. It'll twist your brain around and leave you thinking up is down and right is wrong.”  
― Rick Riordan, The Battle of the Labyrinth.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Annabeth ran.

And ran and ran.

She wanted to be alone. Her father (assuming he still had any right left for that title besides biology) had just told her that her number one role model in life – Athena – was her mom. It should be an awesome feeling – knowing that you’re related to someone you looked up to your whole life – but it wasn’t.

_Not when that person spent 23 years of their life away from you because they didn’t want you._

Years back, Annabeth had thought she knew what rejection felt like – when she was despised by her step-mother and kept away from her own half-brothers. She thought she knew what heartbreak felt like after confirming Percy’s shenanigans first hand. Even, just a few days back, when she was practically disowned by her family, (who are, very conveniently, moving across the kingdom in the middle of the Selection) Annabeth had thought that _that_ felt like a dagger to her heart.

_It just kept getting better, didn't it?_

If Annabeth was paying any attention, she would have realised someone was following her. Strong arms wrapped around her from behind and she panicked. She thrashed around and hit anything her elbows could reach.

“IT’S ME! ME!” Said Percy.

She stopped and turned around. Percy was looking at her with such concern that it made her want to push him away. She couldn’t look _weak_. However, when he forced her to lean against a wall and brushed hair out of her face – she just melted. He kept wiping her tears and muttering comforting words but all of it slipped from one ear to the other. She couldn’t concentrate properly on anything he said as she uncontrollably sobbed.

“Hey. Hey. It’s okay. It will be oka-”

All those dramas, the movies and books – they mention that when your heart breaks, it shatters into a million pieces. Annabeth – for the thousandth time in her life – understood that _painful broken_ _pieces_ was the books' way of maintaining a PG13 rating and putting things _lightly_. The process of _breaking_ is way more agonising than seeing the actual broken pieces themselves.

“Let it out. That’s it. You’re doing so good.” He squeezed her shoulders and bent down to make her look at him but she _couldn’t_ do it.

Here’s what they don’t tell you: it feels like every negative emotion one’s ever felt, every insecurity, every little doubt crushing your ribcage. Your throat constricts in painful spasms. There are majorly two options: If you cry, you feel your throat burning and it hurts. If you hold it in, all that pain flows like acid down your esophagus and it hurts harder. Every minute you make that decision between those two options, all of your past heartbreaks cloud your mind in red, opening old scars and reminding you of everything you spent years trying to heal.

Every time you mend your heart, it never feels complete. Why? Because some small pieces that break, they fly away in the wind before you gain enough strength to mend it. Your walls become higher, insecurities more, and trust less.

Annabeth? Well, she wasn’t even sure she had a heart anymore.

What was she even thinking? How does a mere 13-year-old get a personal invite from a councilwoman for her ‘future potential’? She didn’t really have any potential, did she?

She sobbed even harder. Percy looked pained. He stopped saying anything and pulled her closer. Annabeth didn’t even think, she just grabbed his shirt and cried as he rubbed comforting circles on her back. After a good few minutes, she calmed down enough for the sobs to be, still painful, but, controllable.

She took one deep breath and turned her head towards him and that is when she realised that a door was open a few steps away and someone was – No, it was Jason – giving them some privacy. She never felt as exposed and as grateful to him as she did now.

Then, she got angry.

The fact that Athena had recruited her in a sick attempt of self-redemption after abandoning her for years... _Annabeth wasn’t sure that was someone she wanted as her role model._

Annabeth would love to say things got better from there. Which, naturally, it didn’t. On the bright side, no one else was hurt. By the time Percy and Annabeth (with Jason in a distance) walked through the secret tunnels a few times, holding hands and talking anything but about what they’d found out that day; the situation was under control. No casualties, no theft and no harm to the palace – all of which was more concerning than relieving for Annabeth.

_If it was a false alarm then why the attack?_

_Did the guard try to take advantage of her?_

Percy turned them around and guided her around the pillars close to saferoom A. He then turned to Jason. “We’ll be back in a minute. Check the situation inside. I promise.”

Jason looked between them awkwardly before nodding and leaving.

Annabeth leaned against the wall and Percy followed. “You alright?” He asked.

She snaked her arms around his neck. “Yeah. I mean, I still need some time to process but yeah…”

“It explains why she never approved of us hanging together.”

“Yeah.” She scoffed. “I guess the idea of her giving me the world!” She rolled her eyes. “Didn’t mean tricking the Prince into falling in love with me and taking over the castle.”

Percy grimaced like this wasn’t what he was expecting the conversation to lead to.

She shrugged. “But hey, it pretty much covered everything else, didn’t it? Royal life, ambition, goal, friends, money…” She said sarcastically and looked away.

Suddenly, she threw herself over him. Percy made a surprised sound as she kissed him. It was rough, like she was asking for it and Percy didn’t shy away. He locked her face between his hands in a bruising grip and kissed back, harder.

 _It was probably the anger talking anyway._ (Percy thought.)

When Percy tried to deepen it however, she pulled back and he was confused.

Did she not like it? But… Percy wasn’t a bad kisser.

Did his breath not smell good? Probable, considering the last he used a mint was right after breakfast.

_Eww. I need to take care of myself more._

She said. “We should go back. Jason will be back any second.”

He laughed, trying to hide mild disappointment and embarrassment. “I’m willing to bet he never left.”

On the other side of the coin, they never found who attacked Rachel which was alarming. Rachel was still injured which left Percy torn between spending time with Annabeth and Rachel. Annabeth told him to go check on Rachel though. She’d consumed too much of his time already. Besides, it was hard not to look at him without feeling vulnerable after she’d spent a good half an hour crying on his shoulders.

Annabeth was mostly glad when she found out that her gang had already left. She wasn’t ready to share things with anyone but Percy yet. Even Jason felt like an invasion of privacy. She didn’t hold it against him though. He couldn’t possibly leave the Prince alone after someone was attacked in palace grounds, even if it was with a skilled fighter like Annabeth.

Unfortunately, that left her alone with Amber and Drew when she entered the safe-room.

Drew fake gasped. “Did you roll on the floor or something?”

Annabeth sighed. “I don’t have the patience for you now.”

Amber interrupted. “You should seriously consider getting a Givenchy Waterproof or Too Faced Lash Injection. Your mascara _clearly_ didn’t survive the rain.” She spoke as if she was genuinely giving her fashion ideas and Annabeth wasn’t sure what surprised her more: talking about makeup in the saferoom after an attack or that Amber didn’t have enough substance to figure out she’d cried.

_Evidently, Drew did._

What was annoying was that she looked happy about it.

_But, schist._

She did not just walk around the tunnels holding hands with Percy with her face looking like a zombie.

Not to mention the kiss!

_He didn’t say a word about it!_

………………………………………….

Did things get better from here?

Uh, no.

Warning, disappointment ahead!

The gang meeting? Didn’t happen.

It was postponed. Annabeth felt happy about it because now she doesn’t need to share things about her family. Then, she felt guilty about feeling happy about it. They haven’t seen her with them for days. They were probably worried too. Especially if what Luke said about Percy thrashing out was true.

Well… technically, that rooftop dinner part must have given them enough ideas to not be worried.

Also, they were now top 20. Officially. The notification about the eliminations came in late because of the security issue but they were done by next morning.

Okay, if anyone thought that was good news, clearly you don’t know the author yet.

Because… Warning, disappointment ahead!... Clarisse, Tracy and Thalia, three of Annabeth’s gangmates were eliminated next morning. So, they went from being a gang to being a pair real fast. Thankfully, Thalia had already enrolled in the activities of Camp Half Blood so she wasn’t leaving just yet. Maybe if she did well in that, she could even go on to guards training if she wanted.

Annabeth wore a sandal colour crop top over her sports dress for breakfast. She was grateful that Percy hadn’t mentioned anything to his parents yet. (Or at least told them to keep it in wraps until she is open about it.) For some reason, even after discovering the most heart-breaking thing in her life yet, she couldn’t hide her smile whenever he made more-than-necessary but ‘regular’ conversation with her at the dining table.

It was weird how these heartbreaks worked with people who _had_ pieces of your heart _with_ them. Small, sweet things all of a sudden mattered more.

Warning, disappointment ahead: She couldn’t help digging her fork into her breakfast when she noticed he was doing it with Rachel too.

_Not now Annabeth, not now._

In one secret (okay, maybe not so secret) and selfish (definitely selfish) part of her mind, she was overjoyed. Obviously, Annabeth didn’t _want_ to feel any sadistic pleasure over the fact that Percy was sitting next to her even if Rachel was the one injured – which of course meant that’s _exactly_ what she felt. He didn’t retaliate even once. Not even when she offered him breakfast suggestions (dam, the guy was so clueless that he even did it back) and casually put her hands over his arms in a not-just-a-friendly gesture.

Percy was the most oblivious guy at times.

Rachel rolled her eyes when Annabeth looked smugly at her.

_This was revenge. Petty, yeah, but satisfying._

Piper interrupted. “By the way, do we have any raisins?”

Maria said. “Uh… I just ate the last one.”

“I love raisins.” Percy said.

Annabeth wanted to bite her lips and hold it in but she couldn’t. She looked directly at Percy and asked, “What about a date, then?”

Piper choked on her juice. Zoe tapped Piper’s head and glared at Annabeth.

“Not the same.” He shook his head.

_Wow Percy, real Seaweed Brain, aren’t you?_

After a while, when Annabeth tried again to make a cliché joke, Percy silently tapped her thighs below the table in a warning. Then, he whispered when people weren’t paying attention. “That’s enough for one day, isn’t it?”

_Oh well..._

_......................._

Whatever bubble/limbo/trance Annabeth was in during breakfast didn’t last long enough for her to be happy. Before breakfast, Annabeth had successfully cornered Luke and asked him if they could talk after her morning class. He said yes of course but now Annabeth was regretting her decision. She knew he would be the best person to tell anything to. Percy needed to sympathize with her. He didn’t really know what it felt like but Luke… Luke understood.

_[Flashback:]_

_The weirdest kind of fear creeped through her – like she subconsciously knew what was coming and wasn’t ready for it._

_Athena and Frederick stood stunned inside the room and someone – must be Percy or Jason – came in after Annabeth._

_“What did you say?” She repeated._

_She’d heard it loud and clear of course. Frederick saying: **Annabeth is YOUR daughter too, Athena. Before you point hands, clean your own feet.** _

_Athena recovered first. “Annabeth listen to me. What he is telling are lies-”_

_Frederick snorted in anger. “Which part? That you’re her mother or that you cared about her?”_

_Athena tried to touch Annabeth but she flinched away. “What is he saying?”_

_Athena turned to Frederick. “I cared about her more than **you** ever did!”_

_“Oh yeah? Explain her why she doesn’t call you mom, then?”_

_Percy put a hand on Annabeth’s shoulder but she roughly shrugged him off too._

_“I did more by being away than you ever **tried** by being with her!” Athena said._

_“What?” Annabeth asked._

_They started cross talking._

_“Annabeth, hear me out. -” Said Frederick._

_“No, lady, you listen to me-” Said Athena._

_“Athena is your biological mother and she told me to not tell you.”_

_“What good is it if she knew?” She turned to Annabeth. “I’ve given you way more important things in life than relationships.”_

_Frederick spat. “Yeah right. Money and a palace life isn’t what she wanted.”_

_Athena turned angry. “I mean GOALS AND AMBITION! Annabeth I’ve given you things people struggle with – a dream that reaches beyond the castle. And of course, you were trained like a warri-”_

_Frederick interrupted. “And you took her family away from her!”_

_“SHE LEFT. I never asked her to. You didn’t make a family! Don’t you accuse me of things YOU couldn’t handle on- ”_

_Annabeth ran._

Luke just stared at her as she completed her story. He put an arm around her shoulders and asked. “So, what happens now?”

“I don’t know.” She turned to him. “I still have work from the architecture department.”

“Even in-between Selection?”

She shrugged. “I asked for it.”

“Take a break from it. The training is taking most of your time, right?”

“Yeah. I guess. It’s just… Why didn’t she ever tell me? I was with her for so long.”

Luke shook his head. “You don’t always know the reality of anyone, Annie. Even your closest friends.”

Something about the way he said it felt like he was accusing Percy. At the same time, she got uncomfortable for another reason – What about Luke, then?

He sighed. “Who else knows?”

“Huh… yeah, Percy and Jason. They were with me.”

“Well, at least your boyfriend was there.”

“He is not my boyfriend.”

“Exactly.” Luke looked straight at Annabeth. “He is supposed to be.”

After arguing pointlessly with Luke for a while, she went back to her room to change into her sports dress again. She didn’t visit the architecture department. She didn’t even attempt to see Malcom – gosh, he was _actually_ her half-brother now. Not that she had time to, the Camp Half Blood schedule was jam packed and she didn’t have enough time to dwell in her insecurities. 

They were divided into two major groups – Magic Monsters and Half Breeds – each with 10 girls. Annabeth was in Magic Monsters and they were further divided as Drakons and Hydras – each 5 girls. Annabeth was a Hydra. Fortunately, Piper was in the same team as her. Unfortunately, so was Rachel which meant that they were one person short and as if that wasn’t disadvantageous enough, Maria was a Hydra too. Annabeth and Amber tried their best to make up for Rachel’s absence and Piper was still learning. Maria was totally useless. That meant, of course, that they horribly lost almost every match: weight lifting, sprinting, drills, volleyball, rope climbing, wall climbing – you name it, they lost it.

And all this went on their records.

Annabeth had to hand it to Amber, for Drew’s minion and a fashion freak, she did surprisingly well at sports. Drew – thank gods – wasn’t in Magic Monsters. Not all stereotypes were true. 

_That also meant Drew could be on a date with Percy right now._

Annabeth pushed that thought away.

The Magic Monsters and Half Breeds had different schedules. Only drills, warm up and hand to hand combat happened together. Daedalus, Chiron, Coach Hedge, Tantalus and Lupa took turns with the girls on training. Annabeth grunted and shot the 7th arrow and final arrow. It hit a 10, exactly where she’d planned it to. Coach Hedge yelled something about no improvement but Chiron silently noted it down in his records.

She didn’t need to explain it to him. Chiron was the one who suggested archery as one of her ‘weaknesses’.

Piper said. “It’s okay. This one was doomed to fail anyway.”

Amber accused. “For someone who has done this for years, you horribly suck.”

She laughed. “You think I suck? Watch Percy do it. He _really_ sucks.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Let me guess. You’ve practiced with him, haven’t you?” She walked away.

“I actually did,” she whispered to Piper.

Amber sighed. “You’re really lucky, you know? Knowing the Prince like that.”

Annabeth couldn’t say anything to that. Surprisingly, Amber was one of those people who were nice when alone and spoiled when with Drew.

“I kind of feel bad complicating first love here.” Amber chirruped up and put one arm over her. Annabeth wondered if Drew would approve.

They made small talk as they went back to the castle.

Unusually, Percy was standing next to the backdoors. He was talking with the Drakons (Readers, I mean the team Drakons here) when the Hydras approached them.

“- should don’t you think?” Said Valentina.

“I don’t make all the decisions here.” Said Percy.

A few girls sighed.

Amber asked. “What’s going on?”

Percy looked up and his eyes landed on Annabeth. He touched his nose like it was the most normal thing to do for a Prince.

“I have some things to discuss with _people_ in the _gardens today._ ” He stretched the last part out and looked straight at Amber, “Everyone _else_ should be there. I should get going and stop _friends_ from arriving too early. Can’t be the last one, you know? Prince and all. Would be nice if _someone_ helped me with the other _people_ in the castle.”

The selected nodded as if there was nothing wrong with that but Annabeth got the message nice and clear. She looked at Piper. “I should get going. I want to take a bath. Now.”

Piper nodded and Annabeth excused herself from the group before sprinting towards her room. Quickly, she changed into an orange cocktail dress (with an off shoulder neck and bow) that reached her knees. It didn’t take her too long to find Frank – the man of the day.

Well, one of the men of the day.

Frank waved. “Hey! Wassup?”

She shrugged. “Fleet assemble Zeus’s fist in twenty. We cancelled the last meet, remember?”

“Already? I thought Percy was busy with the breach and all.”

“He says there is something unlucky with gang meets at night.” She laughed. “Something always ends up happening.”

They started walking to the gardens. He laughed too. “You two are good again, right?”

“You tell me. You saw us.”

“About that. I really didn’t mean to stare at you in that-” Frank blushed in embarrassment.

“It’s okay. Don’t sweat it. Have you found anything about the guard who attacked Rachel?”

Frank sighed. “Nothing. He disappeared thin air. We are going to make Rachel see every guard today. I won’t blame her if she couldn’t identify him though. Only thing she noticed in the dark was that he was big, strong and had a deep voice. That’s everyone I know. Even me.”

Annabeth agreed. They made small talk as they walked over to Zeus’s fist which was basically a pile of rocks, in the middle of the gardens, in the shape of a fist. King Zeus was fond of the place and so the name.

When they reached the place, a gunshot went off.

…………………

Making sure no Selected followed him was hard but finding Grover was harder. Percy spent at least 20 minutes looking over the outer gardens and finally found him at the stables.

“If you’ve got another girl to take on a ride, I’m not cleaning up after your mess!”

The guards tried not to laugh but Percy didn’t really mind.

“No. I was just wondering if you saw anything suspicious here yesterday.”

They started walking.

“Right. The attack…” He seemed to be thinking. “Nope. Nothing. Did you get food from the trucks though?” He asked.

Percy frowned. “What truck?”

“You didn’t? The cheese enchiladas were awesome. All the trucks were.” He bent down to carefully adjust a climber plant so it moved towards the poles. “Except that fish truck. People shouldn’t eat living things. You should really make being vegan a law, Percy.”

“What? _Fish_ trucks?” He looked at the guards.

“Yes, your majesty. We have permission to get outside food.” Said one guard.

“But unauthorized vehicles can’t enter palace grounds.”

“It was authorized. By you.” He looked confused too.

Percy groaned.

Grover looked at him. “I don’t get the problem. It was authorized.”

“It is a fish food truck. There is no way I authorized it.”

“I wish you showed half as much enthusiasm with other living-”

Suddenly, a gunshot was heard. The guards took defense positions around Percy and he felt bad for tricking them. On the other side of the creek, he could see that Annabeth had done her part. The instrumental to some popular pop song started playing around them and as if on cue, everybody hiding in their spots revealed themselves.

They tried shouting together and failed. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” (Which, in reality, came out like 'HAP-HA-PY-TH-BIRT-AY')

Percy smiled when Grover’s jaw dropped and he looked around at everyone before looking back at Percy. Annabeth and Frank walked over using bridge above the creek and reached them.

She clapped Frank on his back. “That’s how we hit two birds in one go.”

Percy grinned. “Happy birthday, man.” He shook hands with Grover first, then Frank. It was both of their birthdays – June 5th.

He turned to the guards. “Sorry about that. It was supposed to be a surprise.”

One of them grunted. “Next time. Tell us first.”

Percy raised his eyebrows at his confidence but laughed. “Okay. Okay.”

Connor Stoll interrupted. “THIS. IS. THE. BEST. THING. EVER!”

Travis seconded him. “Please let us do that again! No bullets but perfect sounding gun! How didn’t we think of this?” He was holding the gun.

Percy saw Frank kissing Hazel in the middle of the celebration. Grover nudged Juniper to follow and she started to run around playfully. Percy suddenly got an idea and looked at Annabeth. Just when he started approaching her, Malcom put one arm around her and gave Percy a look like: _Don’t you even think about it._

Percy playfully scrunched his face and gave back a look like: _Please? Just once?_

Malcom grit his teeth and glared at him: _Want to choke to death?_

_Okay, then. That will be a no._

Annabeth laughed at something Juniper did, completely oblivious to their exchange.

In no time, they ate cake and had soft drinks in their hands. Unfortunately, Percy had to leave so they decided to group in that night again and play games as a gang in Percy’s room.

Percy’s schedule wasn’t tight but he had to spend the entire day with Rachel. He wasn’t complaining of course, Rachel was good company, but he felt bad that he couldn’t check up on Annabeth. Or well, spend time with any of the other girls.

He had told his mother that he will be spending equal time with everyone. He meant it.

Rachel had thick bandages wrapped around her thighs. She had reluctantly shown him the wound when Percy asked her to. The knife was big enough to cut through her flesh and so deep that if the angle was a little different, it could have touched her bones. Percy felt extremely guilty every time she winced while walking. The Selected had trusted him and the royals by temporarily living in the palace. This was his fault and his responsibility.

They spent their ‘date’ trying to find who the attacker was.

Percy and Rachel walked around after their ‘date’.

“Enough about me. Tell me about you. Who was your first crush?” Said Rachel.

Percy scratched his neck and smiled. Thankfully, they had reached his room. “Maybe another day.”

The guard said. “Your majesty, um…” He looked at Rachel.

…………………………………

Annabeth was sure her share of things 'going wrong' had ended. Practice was smooth. Dinner was drama less. She never saw Malcom after the birthday celebrations. She was having fun.

So yes, things got better from here.

_Right?_

After dinner, Annabeth took the first step towards the staircase when Miss. Willow stopped her.

“Lady Annabeth, do you have a pass?”

“Uh… Percy told us to meet up at 7.”

“Do you have a pass?”

“No.”

“Then no.”

She sighed and reached over to Willow's desk to use the common landline to call Jason. Technically the Selected weren’t allowed phones so she obviously couldn’t use her own in front of Miss. Willow.

Percy didn’t have a phone. All his communications were done through the servers or his guards. It is not that he didn’t want to have a phone but the number of spam messages and calls to him was just too much. Annabeth didn’t really want the details. He had tried to switch numbers every 6 months once and keep it but eventually got tired of it. Now, he used a laptop strictly coded for work purposes only.

He was the Prince and he couldn’t do something as normal as chatting.

A few rings passed and Jason picked up. “Yeah?” He said.

“I need a pass to go to the 3rd floor.”

“Oh.” He shuffled around with something for a while. “Tell Willow to check her system.”

She turned to Miss. Willow, “Can you check your system?”

Miss Willow took out her iPad and Annabeth heard the notification. The robotic voice said, “Mr. Prince says wise girl has permission for the day.” The robotic voice clicked its non-existent tongue disapprovingly. “Note the grammatical error. I think he meant THE wise girl has permission for the day. Chatting has made everyone forget basic English.” 

Annabeth tried not to laugh at Willow as she climbed up the stairs and came face to face with Luke.

Again.

“This boy is on fire.”

Luke and the other guard looked at each other. The other guard said, “The Prince hasn’t notified us of any guests.”

“Is he inside?” She asked.

“Miss, we can’t say th-”

Luke said. “No, he isn’t.”

“Then I can use biometrics. Alexa, give me the biometrics panel.” She shouted the last part.

The panel to her right turned blue and she reached over to put her right hand over it. The door automatically opened and a girl robotic voice said, “What’s up Annie?”

The guards didn’t stop her. She entered the room. “Stop calling me Annie!”

Percy took his time coming back. Annabeth sat on the sofa after bringing out the games and snacks. She threw it all on the mattress. Then, she heard voices from outside. (Note, room was only one-way sound-proof.) Thinking that it was probably someone else trying to get in but having forgotten the password, she went to the bed and tapped the buttons on its right to open the door.

“You’re late guys!”

It was Percy.

With Rachel?

Annabeth felt a sudden pang of jealousy. Rachel returned that feeling and said. “What are _you_ doing _here_?”

Percy opened his mouth and closed it.

Annabeth put her hands on her hips. “None of your business.” She looked at Percy. “Is she invited?”

“I mean…” He saw Annabeth glaring at him. “No, I’ll see you later, Lady Rachel.”

Rachel huffed and left.

Percy looked at her, entered the room and gave a face like _: What the Hades?_

“What? Did you forget? We planned to meet here.”

“Not that. You didn’t have to…”

Annabeth challenged him. “Have to what Percy?”

“Nevermind. Where are the others?”

“Waiting for you to come back possibly. They couldn’t enter,” She spat.

“Then how did you-”

“Because I am me! What was _she_ doing here?”

Percy glared at her.

“Fine.” She sat down on the mattress.

Percy sighed. “She was just helping me find the intruder.”

_Oh. Yeah. I forgot about that._

“Right. Any luck?”

“Not yet.”

She nodded. “I got in through biometrics. Didn’t you change it after Selection started?”

“Oh. No. Why would I?”

She shrugged.

She forced her feelings to drop while he changed inside the wardrobe. He wore jeans and a tee when he came back. As he sat down beside her, Annabeth thought about what Luke had told.

“How are you doing?” He asked.

“You don’t need to check on me, Percy. I’m stronger than you think.”

He smiled. “That is _why_ I’m checking on you.”

She rolled her eyes.

"How is practice going?" He asked. 

She ignored his question. "I told Luke." 

Percy did not like how she said Luke. "Hmm.. So?"

She fake laughed, "He said it was nice that my boyfriend was there for me.”

"Your boyfriend?" He raised an eyebrow.

_No?_

"His words, not mine." She didn't explain further.

"Do you want me to be your boyfriend?"

_Yeah. Just say it. YES._

"I know it won't be right." She hesitated. "Can't say I don't like it though."

"Shit, Annabeth." He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know if I can."

_Annabeth felt like someone was squeezing her heart._

She nodded and looked away. "When we're alone. When it is just us. We could pretend." She suggested.

He didn't reply.

She looked directly at him. "We don't have to but you do realise it is the only time I can call you my boyfriend, right?"

He sighed. "Believe me... I want to. It is just... I can't treat you like one."

_I know. Can I not call you that though? Just for the sake of it?_

She nodded. He adjusted himself so he sat closer to her. After a minute, he guided her chin up. "I'm sorry."

_She felt the rejection pierce through her mind._

_Just another one in the list._

"Okay."

He bent down like he was going to kiss her and, warning, disappointment ahead, Annabeth pulled back. Thankfully, he didn’t have to explain anything because someone knocked on the door _real hard_. Percy got up to open but the guards bet him to it. The door opened from outside to reveal a seriously angry and irritated Malcom, Annabeth’s brother.

He turned to Annabeth. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

Percy had enough time to think: _Oh boy._

In one swift motion he grabbed Percy by his neck. “IF YOU BRING MY SISTER TO YOUR ROOM ONE MORE TIME WHEN YOU’RE ALONE, I SWEAR ON THE-”

He didn’t get to finish his swear because he was immediately tackled by the two guards. They kicked him on his side and made him kneel down forcefully.

“Malcom, what are you-” Said Annabeth.

“YOU’RE MY SISTER? MY ACTUAL SISTER? HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN, ANNABETH?”

She went silent. Percy answered for her. “A day.”

Malcom looked back at Percy. “PERCY, I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE THE PRINCE. IF YOU USE MY SISTER I-”

“Whoa. Whoa. Backup there. I’m her best friend too.”

He struggled to get back up. “LET ME GO YOU R-”

The guards looked up at him and Percy nodded. Malcom got up and punched Percy. Annabeth stopped him from going any further.

Leo, who was outside the door asked, “Okay, what did we miss?”

................................

**[Note: Now, it is no one's POV, just generally]**

After explaining to everyone what they’d found out, the gang was unusually awkward. Malcom had dragged Annabeth away from Percy and now they sat in opposite sides of the circle, much to Annabeth’s reluctance. Leo had suggested that they should play card games and everyone hopped in on the idea, willing to do anything to make the mood less gloomy and more lively. They settled on UNO and distributed the cards around.

Will: “This time anyone who gets a 7 does the imitations and 3 gets makeup.”

Connor laughed. They played a variation of the game where each number had different set of rules instead of standard UNO shoutout.

Percy opened the set to reveal a blue 8 and Malcom stared at Percy.

Travis snorted. "That's too easy for him. Someone else should do it."

Malcom: "We'll change 8 to getting a slap on the face."

Leo clicked his tongue. "No violence boys. And girl." He looked at Annabeth.

Annabeth was the only girl in the gang today. Selena, Beckendorf, Frank, Hazel, Grover and Juniper had cancelled. They didn't want to think too much of it but they were all couples and some of them wondered what they were up to.

_Probably nothing innocent._

Malcom started saying something when someone knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Councilman Hermes holding a set of papers. Percy got up to take it from him and went to the desk to sign it.

Hermes: "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning."

Chris: "Percy is... going somewhere?"

Hermes: "Effla Province."

Malcom asked, "Is this safe?" Sure, he was an overprotective brother but he did care about the kingdom too.

Jason: "No. It's not."

Percy: "It's a public charity and health event. I can't cancel. It will look bad. Mom is going too." He handed the papers back to Hermes. 

Jason sighed. "Yes. Which is why..." He brought out something from his left pocket and Annabeth realised it was an actual gun, unlike the fake one for a surprise party. 

Will flinched. 

Malcom: "You have clearance for... _that_? And training." He turned to Annabeth. "Do you train with guns too?"

Jason shook his head. "No. The Selected don't do this. Annabeth has trained with us but not with guns. This needs special clearance." 

Annabeth nodded. "I got the clearance last year but I haven't trained yet. Archery and targets are supposed to be my weakness. I can't have shooting as strength."

Travis: "Fundamental flaw in having weaknesses in the first place. Blocking one affects the others."

Connor: "Travis can't participate in any tournaments even if he is good at swords."

Travis: "Percy can't stay underwater for long."

Leo: "I got the easiest. Hate fire."

Hermes interrupted them. "Prince, someone else has requested one more person to join the trip. The Queen cleared it."

Percy nodded. "Let's pack up extra security then."

Hermes looked like he wanted to say more but he left.

Leo: "Today's winner gets to wear Percy's crown AND decide the next password, okay?"

Will: "Vote guys."

Everyone except Percy raised their hands.

Percy: "Yeah, yeah, I'm outvoted. Move on."

They played a long, boring, silent game for a while before everyone except Leo, Annabeth and Will had only 2 cards left. Every number that appeared for the ones with 2 cards had a meaning and the next person had to enact that instead of the first person saying UNO.

Annabeth put down a red seven for Will who put in a blue seven over it. Leo grinned. Percy groaned.

Leo (in the weirdest imitation of Percy's voice): "Hello! My name is Perry Johnson. I like swimming. I love blue food and I love Annabeth Chase. My favourite -"

_Love?_

Percy froze at that and Jason glared at Leo. Annabeth's throat went dry. Leo looked at him in confusion. "What? You didn't confess yet?"

Percy: "Put the next card."

Leo put down a blue four for Jason and he laughed before taking his shirt off. Percy glared at Leo and mouthed a _why._

_He couldn't handle the fact that Annabeth, the only girl in the room, could be flustered over Jason instead of himself._

Annabeth didn't care much. Of course, it was a little awkward when it happened for the first time but now she was used to it. But... she had to admit... Jason wasn't Percy's personal guard for no reason. 

Jason smirked at Percy. "Should I?"

Travis smirked. "Oh, yes you should."

Connor silently brought out his phone.

Jason put down a yellow four. "We're even."

Malcom glared at Jason.

Percy smiled smugly before taking off his shirt and blood rushed to Annabeth's face more because everyone was looking at her and lesser because of Percy's smug expression. Connor clicked a picture and Annabeth groaned - "Seriously guys!" - but she was still blushing and trying _hard_ not to uncontrollably smile.

Let us just say: _Percy was still definitely hitting the gyms._

Guess what Malcom did? Yeah, he glared.

Percy shamelessly grinned at Annabeth and Leo whistled at her reaction to it. 

_Holy water, please?_

..........................................

Warning, disappointment ahead!

Things pretty much went downhill after that.

Percy had horrible timing.

For everything!

Next morning, Annabeth thought about things that happened the previous night as she waited outside her room for Percy to come down. He was leaving in a few minutes and would only be back on Thursday for the next _Report._

So, what if Percy wasn't going to be around for a while? _No problem._

So, what if it was the time when she wished she spent more time with him so she could ditch the architecture department? _Okay... little problem._

So, what if he was dating (and kissing) a few more girls? _Yes, that is..._

What if they argued over this constantly? _Um..._

Just when Annabeth thought things couldn't get worse, Percy decided to spend four days away from palace with Rachel.

_I know right!_

Oh yeah sorry, I forgot to explain that part.

The _someone_ who was going with Percy and Sally to the events was none other than...

You guessed it right, disappointment ahead, Rachel.

And that someone who requested for her presence were Rachel's parents. That, Annabeth understood - their daughter was just assaulted and wounded. Besides, Rachel couldn't actually attend classes for a while anyway.

Why did the event happen in Effla - in Rachel's _home-province?_ Annabeth had no idea. Ask her fates maybe.

Why did she feel that _her own_ parents would have not given a schist if she were the one who was hurt instead? For _that_ , Annabeth had 23 years of statistical data to back her up.

_Great, universe, great._

All she knew for sure right now was that she felt clingy. 

And she was _Annabeth._ She was _never_ clingy.

When Percy came down from the stairs, she didn't even care that it was the middle of the hallway and they had audience (Miss. Willow). She just grabbed him by his shirt collars and kissed him - full on lips.

Percy chuckled. He pulled back after a few seconds and said, "Why, I'll miss you too."

"Shut up. For once." She pulled him back down. She ran her fingers over his stomach and heard him chuckling again. When she reached low enough, a sudden spike of possessiveness engulfed her and she reached under his shirt to run her hand over actual skin. Percy immediately pulled back and stopped her hand with his. He glanced at Miss. Willow (who was probably watching.)

When he looked back at her, Annabeth thought that he thought that she had lost a few nuts and bolts in her system, which, she admitted, she probably did. "What's with you today, huh?" He smiled smugly. "Not here, okay?"

_Well, at least you didn't say NO._

Annabeth nodded and snaked both hands around his neck. Percy held her by the waist. She asked, "Is this the goodbye you're gonna give to all the girls?"

"Why?"

"Because I kinda like it."

She tried to pull him in again but he resisted and laughed. "Do you, I don't know, maybe want to go inside first?"

She bit her lips before deciding. "Okay."

His smile faded. "You're not serious."

She lost her carefree expression.

"Wise Girl, I need to go."

_Was that a no?_

She pulled away awkwardly and stared at the ground. "Yeah. Uh... Okay."

Percy gently brought her chin back up. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Stay safe, okay?" Her expression was serious.

"We have Jason and at least 10 others. And, that's only counting the people right next to us."

Annabeth nodded and Percy gave her a chaste kiss before walking away. He may have turned back around and given her his loop-sided trouble maker smile, which she absolutely adored, making her smile too.

Just like that, he was off to his four days private date with Rachel.

And Annabeth felt left out with the rest of the Selected, Camp-Half Blood and only one true friend inside the Selection.

_Great start to her week, isn't it?_

......................................

Behind the scenes: I gave an Easter egg to Athena being Annabeth's mother (In this AU). When Percy mentioned Athena didn't approve of them but the many people from the council did - this was why.

**So guys, I had someone tell me in the comments that the narration POV isn't clear at times. I know what you mean, I've felt like that at times too. It's just... When I think of the story in my head, I immediately jump from one person's head to the other to make the conversation sensible and I try to imagine what they must be feeling at that exact time so pinning this down in words is little messy.**

**I'm still working on this.**

**That said, the switches between Percy and Annabeth during their conversations is intentional. I make them change POVs smoothly like flowing water and that property is restricted to Percabeth.**

Happy reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES I JUST MADE PERCY GO OUT WITH RACHEL. 
> 
> DIDN'T EXPECT THAT, DID YOU?
> 
> Tell me your thoughts!


	13. ‘127-143’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I wrote too much so I had to split it into two chapters. But hey, Don't you love my ideas? *gives a hopeful smile in the background*

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"Families don't have to match.** **You don't have to look like someone to love them."**

**-Leigh Anne Tuohy.**

**"A grandparent is a little bit parent, little bit teacher and little bit a best friend."**

**-Unknown.**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The trio couldn't take a flight because Percy was never the one for air travel. So, they had to go the old-fashioned way - a bullet train. (What? Did you expect royals to take regular Express trains?)

(Anyway…)

It was a 20-minute journey to the platform from the palace and then a 5-hour journey by the train. After that, what was _supposed_ to be a 15-minute journey _became_ a 45-minute journey because of the reporters. Still, Percy, Sally and Rachel arrived at Dare Noble-house sooner than expected and the royals entered the house more out of courtesy than any real need.

Percy wasn't sure who felt more intimidated here - Rachel's father because he was shaking hands with the Prince or Percy because he was going to say something along the lines of 'I hurt your daughter, forgive me' to Mr. Dare. He subconsciously thanked Hazel. At least, the shiny tuxedo kept up with the authority-figure look.

_If a girl's brother was as overprotective as he had seen then he wasn't looking forward to the fathers._

Mr. Dare gave a stretched smile to Percy – which, either meant he was doing it out of courtesy or he had some alter ego motive behind that I’m-a-good-father look. Percy blindly believed it was the first. “Welcome aboard, your highness. I hope my daughter has been good to you.” He looked at Rachel. “She didn’t bore you too much with all her paintings and arts and everything, did she?”

Rachel looked away but Percy couldn’t say if she took it as a joke or was actually hurt. “No. Um… she is good company.” He admitted.

Her father raised one eyebrow. “Is that so? Well, now that you’re here, you must eat home food. We can’t let our guests leave without a meal.” He waved his hands inside in welcome.

Percy hesitated. “I’m sorry. We have somewhere to be. We probably won’t have time anyway so-”

Queen Sally said, “Nonsense. If it is okay with you, we would love to do breakfast together tomorrow.”

Mrs. Dare smiled at his mom. “Of course, your majesty. That would be an honour.”

Percy glared at his mom like: _What are you doing?_

She gave back a smug look like: _What? Are you gonna challenge the Queen?_

He hated his mom’s perfectly cunning logic at times.

..........................

Tuesday breakfast at Dare’s house was awesome. It definitely bet last night’s takeout by big miles. But…Well… Maybe it was a little too sophisticated and classy.

Coming from the Prince, that was a big statement.

It felt like Mr. Dare had especially prepared for this moment in his past, already put out orders to the classiest restaurants’ best breakfast picks, specials, etcetera, etcetera and combined it all under one roof.

All the guards were busy securing the place except Jason (who was the only one inside the room). Being Percy’s plus one everywhere, he had joined them for breakfast and Percy had looked pointedly at Mr. Dare as if daring him **(Haha, pun intended)** to tell Jason off. He had made up his mind. If Mr. Dare said one word against Jason, he was going to leave.

Don't misunderstand. Percy wasn't a bad guest. Just... something about Mr. Dare stretching his smile longer than normal was ticking Percy off. 

If Annabeth was here, she might say he was being too paranoid. But he was Percy, and he made up what he lost in intelligence with his gut.

_He had to trust his gut._

By the look on his face, Mr. Dare hadn't expected Percy to sit down with his personal guard like they were relatives. 

Jason was a 4 in caste and he, for sure, hadn’t seen half of those dishes in his life. Percy wondered if he himself could pronounce all of them correctly. He mentioned that they preferred self-serving and he and Jason went around looking at the dishes.

That is - Percy was looking at the dishes and Jason was randomly pointing around, asking what it was.

He pulled Percy out of his thoughts. “Is that decoration?” He pointed to a small square frame having (what looked like) pure sand with a small hammer and some brown stones. It could have been a decoration, sure, but it was on a plate.

Percy said, “No, that is Zen Garden.”

"A desert is a garden now?"

“Comes in different types, man."

Jason looked confused.

Percy sighed. "This one is cheese.” He pointed to the sand and then to the stones. “Nuts, and fruits.” Percy chuckled. “Those are dates.”

He remembered the cliché joke Annabeth made the day before during breakfast.

_If you were here, I could have teased you._

“What about this meat on a mini waffle thing?” Jason pointed to a dish in his hand (about 7 cm long) and engulfed it before Percy could reply.

“Is it good? It is jamón lbérico de bellota."

“Huh?”

“Ham. It is ham.” Percy explained.

He put another in his mouth, hummed at the taste and grinned. “That’s why I need the Prince by my side. I like your translations.”

“Yeah? Well, translation, you just burned like… 50 dollars, maybe?”

Jason’s smile dropped. “Seriously?”

Percy nodded and grinned.

Rachel came beside him. “I’m sorry about this.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.

Jason looked at the couple and held out a loaf of bread with some sort of spread on it. He had already taken a bite. “This is good. It tastes exactly like butter and bread.”

“Because it _is_ butter and bread.” Rachel pointed to his right. “You should add the spread from those small cans.”

“ _What?_ From this shoe polish box?” Jason asked.

Percy turned to Rachel. “Yeah, well, when you said a meal at home… I kind of imagined your mom would be cooking.”

She gave him a guilty smile. “I really wasn’t expecting Dad to overdo this. Okay, I was… but, not this much.”

Jason made a displeased face and popped out his tongue. “Too salty. And slimy.” He reached for a napkin.

Just then, Mr. Dare entered, “Ah. I see you’ve tasted Caviar!”, he said cheerfully.

Percy immediately turned to look at Jason and tried not to scowl.

_Why didn’t I stop him when he said ‘shoe polish box’?_

“Carry-R?” Jason asked.

“Black gold.” Percy said like that cleared anything.

“And some call it ‘sea gold’ too.” Said Mr. Dare.

“This is _fish_?”

“Fish eggs, actually.” Rachel offered. “Takes like 7 years for production and another 3 months fermentation. Fresh from the ovaries of sturgeons which are later killed for meat and other parts.”

Jason went pale. He retched out his own spit and rubbed his tongue over and over again with the napkin. Percy and Rachel laughed.

Mr. Dare looked at Jason disapprovingly, “You must try some too, your majesty. They are some of the finest quality, I assure you.”

Percy made a disgusted face. “No, thank you. Seafood isn’t my department.”

Jason faced Rachel. “I think I’ll stick to the bread and butter here. Enough experiments for one day.”

Rachel shrugged and smiled teasingly.

Mr. Dare looked at Rachel, “Why don’t you show this young man around his food? I didn’t want to interrupt but her highness asked for you, your majesty.”

Rachel looked like she wanted to argue but Mr. Dare didn’t back his stand. She turned to Percy either as if asking him to get her out of this situation or asking if it was okay with him. He nodded.

_Wait, didn’t Jason say he had a crush on Piper?_

_Should Percy not be okay with it?_

_Ah, it is alright._

Percy didn’t have any problems with Rachel hanging around with Jason. He trusted his bro. No, Percy was more worried about how Mr. Dare had said ‘her highness asked for you’ – like he was informing him of something that was already planned.

Jason asked. “Do you have fruity loops or Kellogg’s?”

Percy mentally face-palmed. _I should make this one sit in Miss. Willow’s class._

......................................

Annabeth did nothing productive on Monday. She still wasn’t talking to Frederick (who kept knocking on her door till he was convinced she wasn’t inside) or Athena (which wasn’t a problem, considering the councilwoman made no attempt to cross paths with her ‘daughter’). She wasn’t sure which hurt more: Her father trying so much after a long time and she not being in a position to receive it or seeing her mentor, with whom she used to talk to everyday, not making a move to show… well, _anything_.

She spent the day in training and in Miss Willow’s class. For the first time since Selection started, she was truly grateful for having a friend like Piper by her side. Still, whenever she found a hair’s breadth of time in her schedule, she found her mind having a life of its own and repeatedly going back to the same thing: Percy.

Like, she would find herself eating more of the food _he_ likes and wonder _why_ she did it when she doesn’t like it much. Or, she would be sparing with Daedalus in camp and her mind would suddenly remember a joke Percy must have told her months back, when _they_ were sparing together, and smile subconsciously (till Daedalus said “concentrate”.)

She didn’t miss him.

She just wished he was here.

On Tuesday, Annabeth woke up on the wrong side of the bed. She sprained her neck from the position she was sleeping in and her heel hurt from yesterday (where she stepped a little too hard on it during practice.)

_Why was everything going wrong today?_

She put on her sports dress and went down to the diner. Without Sally and Percy, the dynamics in the table had completely shifted. It was still in a first-come-first-serve basis except now, the ones who came first sat in the back instead of the front. When Annabeth came in and sat closest to the King, everyone stared at her like: _How do you even have the nerves to…?_

_I’ve done this a thousand times bro. (Probably even more!)_

She gave the royals a small smile. Paul turned around from his conversation with Edward (Paul’s mom’s brother) for the first time, to look at the table, and frowned. He looked at Annabeth and mouthed: _Is there something on the chairs?_

She shook her head.

When Piper came inside, she looked everywhere but at the front for Annabeth and even sat on another chair before Annabeth beckoned her over.

“Can I know why you’re sitting here when everyone _else_ is sitting there?” She asked.

Annabeth teased. “Isn’t that what we do?”

Piper gave her a straight smile.

Paul addressed the girls with a mic. “Good morning everyone.” They all went quiet. “Today is June 7th. You all have already finished 9 days of training at the camp. Chiron has notified me that all the basic training elements have been introduced in the first five days… which means I’m giving this information later than planned so apologies on my side. From today, you’ll be given exactly 21 days at camp for everyday analysis and improvement charts. You’ll have compulsory 6-hour attendance per day and like Sally mentioned before, you could take extra time in camp when the arena is free but those scores will not reflect on your charts. For this period of time, there will be no classes with Miss. Willow-”

_Finally! Thank you gods!_

Annabeth sighed happily at that and Paul looked at her for a split second.

“-except the one before the report this Thursday-”

_Yeah, I think I spoke too soon._

“Your final tests, the tournament, will happen on July 2nd and 3rd. So, you’ll be having 4 days buffer between camp and the tournament. Next eliminations will be announced on July 5th. Good luck everyone.”

He kept the mic down and jerked like he remembered something else. “Also, I believe you have been grouped 5 per team, right? Almost all tests would be score related but sword fights can’t be done so. So, you’ll be fighting among each other for that. We’ll be having a winner’s trophy too. And…” And he gestured for someone to come in. “Meet Councilwoman Aphrodite. From today, she will be working alongside Miss. Willow.”

_What now?_

Aphrodite, who will not differentiate between a love tragedy and a love story, working with Miss. Willow as the girls’ mentor?

This was going to be interesting.

For Aphrodite, that is. Not Annabeth.

Well, at least, Aphrodite… _what do they call it?._.. ‘shipped’ Percy and Annabeth.

 _I hope her idea of ‘shipped’ doesn’t mean a tragedy._ (Annabeth thought.)

………………

After breakfast, Annabeth went around the castle aimlessly.

_What was happening to her?_

She saw Paul, Edward and Miranda (Paul’s mother) talking in the halls a little away from the girls’ common hall.

“-a bad idea. It would just stress them.” Said Miranda. “And create bad blood. We should tell them that it won't mat -”

Edward tapped his sister’s shoulder and looked at Annabeth.

She immediately smiled. “Hello Wise Girl, how are you doing?”

Immediately, she was reminded of Percy. Percy was the one who gave her the nickname but her granny (step-granny?) also latched on to it.

She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah. I’m good. What’s going on?”

“Well I was just telling Paul here that-”

Paul stopped her. “She’s Selected too. Sorry Annabeth, this concerns you too.”

“Shouldn’t I _know_ things that concerns me?”

Edward, who was the eldest royal, put one hand on her shoulder. He smiled sourly. “Not this one kid. Trust us.”

She nodded. Paul took papers from his guard’s hands and started walking away. Annabeth frowned.

_Why was he suddenly so distant?_

Miranda turned to her. “Let’s walk, yeah? Don’t worry about him. He is stressed because of the guest invitations. Lot of old scars opening up.”

“What guest invitations?” Annabeth asked.

“You’ll know soon enough. I hear they got plans for the Selected too. It happens in… August, I think?” Said Edward.

She sighed. “Right. If I stay that long.”

Edward frowned. “Now, why are you doubting that?” He started walking.

Miranda nudged her and Annabeth followed them. Thankfully, they didn’t have guards around them. Miranda and Edward were royals of course but they not involved in anything that concerned the royals _directly_ (since they were from Paul’s side of the family). They didn’t have hectic schedules like Paul, Sally or Percy and just served as advisors.

But, _indirectly_ , they practically ruled the kingdom since they were Paul’s personal advice box.

Edward asked her. “Is everything okay, cupcake?”

The nickname made her want to smile genuinely.

Cupcake was what all the elder royals called her when she was little. Back then, it felt awesome to have _someone_ give her a name like that (especially when her own family didn’t) but now it was slightly embarrassing.

Annabeth still liked it though.

She looked away. “To be honest, not really.”

Miranda looked concerned. “Why? What is wrong?”

“Am I a bad person if I say Selection?”

Edward chuckled. “No. You are a normal person. Did you two fight? What did he do this time? Kiss someone else?”

“Or is it the girls?” Miranda shook her head slightly. “Are they demeaning you? Talking behind your back?”

Annabeth stared at the two of them, stunned. “Yes, and yes. All of the above. How did you even-”

“We’ve already seen Selections.” Said Miranda.

_Oh gods, yes. They must have heard everything from Paul, right?_

_Isn’t it different for men? That too, at his age?_

_Selection is still Selection,_ her mind reasoned.

Edward said. “Besides, this is Percy we’re talking about.”

Miranda hit him. “This is _boys_ we’re talking about. Not just Percy. You were worse at his age!”

“No, I wasn’t! I lost my-”

“For our family and status, you were.” Said Miranda.

Annabeth felt a strange sense of amusement as she saw the two bickering. It had been a while since she had talked to them outside the diner hall.

_Gosh, she really missed this._

Edward pointed at Annabeth. “It gets better okay? We understand things as we grow older. Ask me anything!”

Miranda whispered. “Yeah… only like 10 years later… but, sure” She looked back at him. “I’ll give you a question of this generation. What is girl talk?”

“When you talk about boys.” He said, without a beat.

Miranda looked at him like she was disappointed. “Not wrong. Not exactly right. What else?”

“Eh… Um… Okay see, I know this. I know yes and no doesn’t mean what they mean.” He looked like he was thinking. “They mean opposites. Sometimes they mean what they mean and sometimes maybe is used for both. Maybe is yes or no. Yes is maybe. No is no but _no_ is do it and we’ll see!”

Annabeth laughed her first real laugh since she heard that Athena was her mother. These two reminded her of the Stoll brothers. (Except, they were the Blofis siblings.)

Edward and Miranda smiled warmly.

Annabeth got this weird feeling like maybe they were doing this _for_ her. To see _her_ laugh.

_It warmed her heart._

......................................

Percy’s gut feelings were right on point.

As soon as he came back to the breakfast table, his mother looked at him like she'd just found something sneaky about him that she could use against him in the future. (In a friendly, motherly way of course.) Like: _Clean your room or else_ Or _If you don’t babysit Tyson today…_

"Okay," Percy said. "Come straight to the matter."

“Alright.” Said Sally. “We’re taking Lady Rachel to the event.”

“What-”

“It will look good, your majesty. To have a Selected by your side in the event.” Said Mr. Dare. “Didn’t you say Rachel was good company?”

Percy frowned. “No offense but she’s injured. She can hardly stand without feeling the pain.”

“She is fine!” He brushed it off. “She’s been walking around all this time looking wonderful!”

The Queen said, “We could make her sit down. He is right Percy. She is good press. If she is okay with it then I don’t see why we shouldn’t-”

“Of course, your majesty. She is okay with it.”

The Queen glared at Mr. Dare. “I would like to hear that from her. LADY RACHEL?” She called out. Rachel came back, looking alarmed. “Would you like to join us for the event? It would be good to have you there but if your leg still hurts then it is oka-”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore, does it, sweetie?” Asked Mr. Dare.

Percy gave her an expression that was similar to what she had given him before: where he couldn’t tell the difference between whether she was asking permission or asking for him to deny something someone offered.

_Percy realised too late that he had understood it wrongly._

_She understood it wrongly too._

She nodded. “Yes, your majesty, I’m okay.”

After that, it was only a matter of how fast Rachel could get ready. Which – as it turns out – was pretty fast for a lady getting ready for a garden party. **(Hey, that rhymes!)**

In another 20 minutes, they were all at the venue. The Queen gave a speech and Percy got the scissors which will be used to cut the ribbon tied between two poles as a kickstart to the event.

Sally was right.

Rachel was awesome press.

The minute the press realised that the Prince had brought a date, they practically forgot about the Queen. (Till she decided to take pictures _with_ Percy and Rachel by her side which they loved even more.)

Rachel kept looking at the ribbon and back at the scissors Percy was holding in curiosity. Percy laughed to himself. He beckoned Rachel over. “Go for it, cut the ribbon.”

Rachel looked embarrassed but also really excited. When Percy gave the scissors to Rachel and held out the ribbon for her, the press went crazy. She cut the ribbon, practically jumped and hugged him sideways. Percy smiled too.

It was nice to see Rachel like this, especially after seeing her wince over every step for two days and feeling guilty about it. Her red hair, yellow dress and lean figure – everything matched with the garden concept perfectly.

They passed the garden grounds and went directly to the huge tent at the centre of everything. Where they went, the press followed. A long line of foods was placed on the stage but Percy didn’t stop. He went further in and pushed open a curtain to his own private space where the press couldn’t enter.

Rachel, who had a terribly convincing smile all the time bent down and sat on the first chair, wincing. “Okay. That was too much walking.”

Percy looked at her, concerned. “How does it feel? You are not bleeding, right?”

“No.” She denied, “The bleeding happened only once. Dr.Solace said it wasn’t abnormal.”

“He also said don’t strain your legs.”

Sally came in and looked at Rachel. “Rachel? Dear, are you alright?”

Rachel grit her teeth and gave a thumbs up.

Percy frowned. “Ah… maybe it is better if you stay here. You could do the food tasting.” He suggested.

Rachel opened a box which had packets of some sort of sour candy in it. She tore one and put it in her mouth and gave a is-this-candy-or-is-it-concentrated-lemon face.

Sally chuckled. “We’ll have to work on that.”

Percy moved around the place to get water. “Always give only good reviews to whatever you taste but if you really don’t like something, leave it alone. Say real things. Don’t call spicy things not spicy enough, sour things sweet, etcetera.”

“I think my reaction was perfect then.” Rachel said.

Percy shook his head. “You do that in front of a camera and they’ll make a meme out of your face.”

"Right. I didn't think of that."

Percy shrugged. "It's okay. Miss Willow will teach you everything." He sat opposite to her at the table. "But if it helps, everything that has to do with the press majorly stems from the three 'i's"

"Three eyes?" Rachel asked. 

"The letter 'i'. Three ‘interesting’s." He sipped some water from the bottle.

Sally asked. “What?”

"Look interested." He imitated smiling at the camera. "Look interesting." He pointed at himself and his cloths. "Don't do interesting looking things." He teased as if he was going to point at Rachel but last minute, he pointed at the sour candy.

"Wow, Percy." Rachel said. "That was short and sweet."

Sally looked from Percy to Rachel. "And... pretty accurate."

Rachel chuckled. "If only every Miss. Willow could teach like Mr. Percy here."

He grinned. "Sorry. Too many Miss Willow-s but only one Percy in stock."

Rachel laughed openly.

"Okay, I have a doubt." Said Jason (who came in just then.)

Leo came in behind him. "Which part of the charity and health event is-" He pointed all around, "- all this?"

Percy took the iPad from Jason. He opened the map of the locality and projected it on the nearest tent curtain for everyone to see. "Think of it like... That is the health part. That is the charity part and this as the event part. Overall, any money we make here today goes for charity. Let us go show our faces in a few events." 

"Okay…um... I need to wee. Where is the-?" Rachel asked.

Percy pointed to his right. "Through it and take a left."

After Rachel left, Sally was still looking at Percy. 

"What?" He asked. 

"You two have good chemistry." She said. 

He didn't reply.

"No wonder she was your first kiss in the Selection."

Percy shook his head and his voice turned more guarded than before. "She wasn't my first kiss. Annabeth was."

Sally clapped her hands over her mouth and her resemblance to Estelle whenever she does it when he gives her candy was so similar, it gave him a deja-vu. "Really?" She asked.

"Yeah. I wasn't gonna tell you."

"Why?"

Percy's cheeks were going hot. "BECAUSE! You'll react like that!"

Sally gave him a straight face. "Then why tell me now?"

"Because!" He groaned. "I didn't want you to react like that on camera. They'll make you the meme of the year!"

They laughed.

"Wait..." Said Sally. "Is that why Annabeth is moodier these days?" She teased.

Jason and Leo laughed.

Percy frowned playfully. "Haha very funny, very funny." He rolled his eyes.

_But his heart was beating fast. She was… moody? Why?_

.............

 _ **Back to Annabeth**_ _:_

“Anyway.” Edward turned to Annabeth. “Give it time, okay? Everything will be alright.”

“Yes!” Miranda exclaimed. “And trust in yourself!” She gave a strong slap to Annabeth’s back.

Annabeth flinched. “Thank you. I needed that.”

Miranda seemed to be thinking. “Come on.” She walked off to her right. Annabeth raised her eyebrows and looked at Edward.

He shrugged. “Girls.” He mimicked his sister’s tone poorly. “How are we supposed to know?” He smiled cunningly like he knew, though.

Miranda walked to the east wing of the palace and stood next to the stairs. “Go to the fourth floor and get my red handbag, dear.”

She stepped to her right to reach the elevators but Miranda hit her hand. “What do you need these for! You should always practise walking and running, you healthy young woman.” She pushed Annabeth towards the stairs.

“For your sake! To the fourth floor!” said Edward and stepped next to his sister on the elevator.

Annabeth smiled.

_But gosh, this woman did have good arm power for a 65-year old._

She walked up the stairs.

…Only to be held captive in the third floor.

In her excitement, she had completely forgot that the Selected couldn’t go above the second floor without a pass – which she didn’t have.

“Selected? Do you have a pass?” Asked a guard.

“No but I’m a green so does that-”

He shook his head. “Miss, I am sorry but I cannot-”

Miranda’s voice spoke from a distance. “SHE IS WITH US OR CAN I NOT GIVE A PASS NOW?”

The guard paled. “Yes ma’am, you can!” He looked at Annabeth. “You could have mentioned that.”

When they reached the room. Miranda went in to pull out a phone - An old version - the ones with the buttons instead of touch screen. She passed it to Annabeth. “Percy’s number is saved as Agent Green. You can call him.”

Annabeth’s mind’s wheels spun fast. “Percy has a _phone_?” She looked at them in surprise. “And he actually took it?”

Edward nodded. “A special phone.”

She felt a wave of disappointment. “Why didn’t he tell me?”

Miranda smiled sympathetically. “He was told not to. By Sally.”

Annabeth’s mouth formed an O. “Oh…”

“You don’t say, we won’t say.” Edward told.

“Call only from this number, honey.” Miranda said. “The call is untraceable. Keeps his location and number safe. Security reasons. That is why he couldn’t give you the number.”

She nodded. “Wow… since when does he have it?”

“Uh… about 2 days.”

_Right when Jason got his gun._

_What is going on?_

Annabeth walked out of the room and they followed her. Suddenly, she remembered something. “But if Miss. Willow finds out-”

Edward challenged. “What can she do? Confiscate it and threaten to tell Sally?” He looked alarmed. “Oh, she can do that…”

Miranda thought about it. “If she takes it, tell us. We’ll get it from her. She’ll tell Sally that she found your phone but we gave it back to you. Sally won’t care much about it. Percy will laugh.”

Edward nodded. “This phone is different from the regular. You can’t see anyone’s numbers. The texts will disappear after 30 minutes of you viewing them or them viewing yours. You can’t store any media. The rest is beyond my knowledge. This generation has crazy technology.”

Annabeth didn’t know what to say. “Thank you… So much…”

Miranda hugged her sideways. “Anything for our Cupcake.”

“Give it back to us on Thursday.” Edward said.

Annabeth was speechless. Miranda laughed, “Sometimes you just need a push,” She pushed her towards the wall, “In the right direction.”

Edward laughed and pointed behind Annabeth. Miranda said, “Oh, Well…”

“What?” Annabeth asked and turned around.

She came face to face with a painting of the royal family. The _older_ one. Poseidon, Sally and Percy (as a kid). This must have been done when Percy was 12.

_That was the Percy she first had a crush on._

Annabeth blushed.

“Fates don’t lie.” Said Edward.

Annabeth grinned from ear to ear as she went back to her room.

She really needed this today.

It was weird how grandparents could give advice in the simplest of terms and make you understand what you couldn’t see.

Once inside, she took out the phone and searched the contacts for a certain agent…

It rung thrice before the other party picked it up.

“Hey. Whassup, man?”

Annabeth frowned. This was _nothing_ like Percy’s voice. Someone with huskier and manly voice spoke. That said, it felt like she had heard this voice before. “Um… Is Percy there?”

“Sorry, I am Peter. Who is Percy?” The voice said.

An awkward silence followed.

The person on the other side sighed. “We talked about this. Read. Code R. File management.” The person on the other side shuffled around. “Um… IP number 157.239.640.756. Action deactivate after 5.”

Annabeth blinked. The call immediately got cut and a robotic voice spoke from the phone. “Action activate messenger. Receiving logical instructions. Boolean value… Sorry, null found. Reading message: Good morning, dear customer. We are very happy to announce that you are our 1,000,000th customer and our lucky winner! Please tell the following details for receiving the newest model Samsung phone as your gift! 1) Your real names. 2) Location and time of delivery 3) Why you love the model. Thank you!”

Annabeth was as clueless as someone hearing Apollo’s haikus.

**(A/N Phew, that was a big code. Translation for you readers: Read – meant that the phone would read the message out. Code R, File management and the IP are basically where the message is stored temporarily. Deactivate after 5 meant that the IP would be deleted after 5 seconds after reading it out loud. On her side, activate messenger meant that the phone will read it out loud.**

**This part is IMPORTANT:**

**Boolean value… Sorry, null found: Here null doesn’t mean computer’s null. It meant English null which is equivalent to zero. In Boolean logic, zero is equivalent to false. So, Annabeth has to read the message and take the false of it.**

**Note that all this part is only the phone speaking the real message comes only after the ‘Reading message’ part.**

**The message takes the form of a spam advertisement so if anyone (by some way) tracks it down then they would only listen to the spam. The message tells her to ‘tell’ details and so she needs to take false of that and NOT reveal those details. 1) says real names so she is never supposed to use real names in their conversation 2) (same logic as names) 3) ‘Why you love the model’ basically meant never give any information about people you love – family and friends.)**

Just when she thought that maybe it was best to not screw around with royal secrets, Agent Green called her.

“Hey, Wassup, man?” The guy said.

Annabeth thought about it for a minute. “Did your girlfriend like the tiara and the books I gave you dude?”

Translation: Tiara is Percy. Book is Annabeth. Girlfriend is no one, don’t worry, because the rest of the sentence is meaningless.

_If it was Percy, he will catch the reference._

“Anna-” He paused. “Yes, she liked it. How did you get your hands on it?”

Translation: How did Annabeth get the phone?

“Gran gave them to me, man. What are you upto?”

“I’m in this party.” The voice teased.

And suddenly, a voice in the background said. “Line secure, free speech.”

“Wise Girl, what the hell?” Percy said, still in the other voice.

“I just wanted to call. I didn’t know this much secrecy was involved!” She defended. “What is going on idiot?”

“This is just for safety. ‘Idiot’ huh? Well, stick to that. Do you remember the rules you heard?” He asked.

“Yeah, I didn’t understand anything.”

“Basically, no sensitive information. Not even after the line is secure.”

“Okay. So… Wassup?”

“I’m in the event. She is here too.”

“Oh.” Annabeth said.

“Don’t ‘oh’ me. This was Mr. Dare’s idea.”

“Ohh.” Annabeth said.

“What about you?” Percy asked.

“Waiting for it to be 3. I have training.”

“Um… it is 3: 30.”

She went pale and let out a few curse words and yelled to him. “BYE BYE BYE!”

Percy laughed. “Enjoy the push ups.”

_Gods, how did she not see the time!_

_Late for class on the first day of 21 days._

_Great._

_…………………………_

_**Back To Percy:** _

Jason tapped his shoulder. "Uh... Why is there a stripper's bar at this event?"

"What?" Leo looked interested. "Where?"

Percy shook his head. "No idea."

"Shouldn't we like, you know... go do something?" Jason said.

He looked pointedly at him. 

Leo explained. "Because it is scandalous and inappropriate, I mean?"

“Fine.” Percy said. “Go check it out. Dancers are fine. No nudes though. Tell the manager.” Jason started grinning too. Percy hit him on the back of his neck. “You’re not going anywhere. Don’t you like someone?” Jason scratched his neck. “Leo, this one is yours.”

Leo grinned like a happy puppy. “Man, I love this job.” He jogged away exactly like a happy puppy and Percy cringed but he understood.

The Stoll brothers were also with them for the event (for security) but they behaved more on Sally’s watch than Percy’s so they were with her. They told him that Rachel had done the food tasting and decided to roam with his mom for some ‘girls only’ events. Percy didn’t have any problems with that… mainly because of one reason: he was distracted.

_He kept looking at his secret phone as if expecting something to come out of it._

Thankfully, when Annabeth had called, Jason actually walked away thinking it was some royals-only conversation (about which Percy felt both guilty and happy about.)

_But if Jason got to know that it was Annabeth then I’ll get a lecture, and right now, I want to live in the moment._

Percy had to admit; his heart did a mini rally race in his chest when he realised that Annabeth had broken rules to talk to him.

Needless to say, he was grinning like an idiot.

_It has just been one day!_

_Maybe I should have stayed back and kissed her a little more because now I really want to._

Percy almost couldn’t recognise Rachel when she waved at them and joined them.

Rachel frowned. “Why?” She turned around and looked down at herself. “What is so funny?”

He couldn’t control his grin.

Rachel had changed her dress (in some _girls only_ event, he thought) to a knee length green frock (or gown, is there a difference?) with freckles of different shades of green on it. Her red hair was suddenly brown but Percy could still see shades of red here and there – like someone had decided to spray paint the portion that was usually visible.

_Previously, in her yellow dress, she fit in the whole ‘garden’ concept elegantly. Now…_

Yeah, the fact that she looked like a tree coloured wrongly made him want to laugh.

Percy shook his head. “No. No. It is not you. You look good.”

“Okay then… should we get going?”

Thankfully, Percy could now enjoy since he had seen the health parts first – that was what he was doing when Annabeth called him. The minute he entered _that_ ; he knew he wasn’t going to stay there longer than necessary.

The four of them – Percy, Jason, Rachel and Beckendorf (also guard) – walked around the gardens. Many people approached them but they were mostly told off by some the other guards who had been put on duty. The ones who did catch them mostly talked to Rachel. Percy looked busy just by writing things on his iPad. He had thought only their 11 guards were his sidekicks but clearly, they had an entire army out today. Difference was, only the 11 talked to him.

They watched circus acts, magic shows, comedy, singing events, puppet shows and Percy was seriously starting to reconsider what Jason had said. _This was much more of an event than a health campaign._

_That’s okay. It is for charity._

When they were back to the reporters’ area, him and Rachel stood on a stage and they answered a few random questions.

One of the reporters asked. “How has your relationships with the Selected been, Prince?”

Percy smiled. “You’d have to wait for the report for that.”

Another one jumped in. “Aren’t you intriguing? Well, what about your relationship with Lady Rachel here, your highness? Fans are dying to know Perchel!”

“Huh? What?” Percy asked.

“Have you gone on any other dates?”

“Kisses?”

Percy blinked. He wasn’t expecting this question today.

The reporters turned to Rachel. “What do you say about your time with the Prince?”

Rachel linked one arm around his torso. “It has been good. He is a good kisser.” She whispered the last part.

Someone yelled. “Then do it!”

He wasn’t sure what he would have said because she acted too quick. She kissed him.

In the middle of the gardens.

In front of at least 30 cameras.

The crowd swooned.

Percy pulled away quickly. He gave the best poker face he could muster and went back into the tent. He wasn’t sure what got to him but he felt angry. Rachel came in.

“What was that?”

He got into her personal space and guided her chin up. “If you want a kiss then ask.” He kissed her a little roughly like he was trying to make his point. “Don’t jump at me like that!”

Rachel pushed him away. “I didn’t even do much. It is light PDA. Why are you getting-?”

“Because this is my private life! And I like to keep it private.”

Rachel calmed down. “Right. I’m sorry, I didn’t-” She tried to touch Percy’s chest but he stepped away.

Jason suddenly walked in. “Percy, why is Annabeth making you a punching bag?” He looked at the two of them. “Um… bad timing?”

Rachel frowned. “What?”

Jason looked at her awkwardly like he didn’t want her hearing it. “Someone told me that Annabeth told her to tell me that I should punch Percy 40 times.” 

Percy smirked.

_Right. She did 40 push ups then._

He tried to hold his smile in. “Ignore it. It is nothing. Wait outside, Jason.” After he left, he turned back to her again. “I’m sorry too. It is just I’m used to-”

“-being in the spotlight, yeah.” She sat down on a chair. “What was _that_ about?”

He smiled. “Nothing important.”

They were both silent for a while. He decided to break the silence. “How is the leg?”

Rachel looked deep in thought. “Was it always like this?”

Huh?

“Like what?”

She looked at him. “You and her against the world?”

Percy didn’t say anything. He understood what she meant of course.

_To be honest, it was never her and me against the world._

Rachel sighed. “You don’t even let me touch you, Percy. You don’t open up. Everything feels so in the surface here.”

“Hey, we’ve known each other for like a month now. Annabeth has-” He defended.

“Your friend. I know. Was it always like that though? She never made a move on you? No drinking, doing stuff and regretting it later? Nothing?”

Percy frowned.

_What exactly was Rachel suggesting?_

_Annabeth isn’t like that._

Percy grit his teeth. “Don’t make assumptions about things you don’t know.” He looked away. “We should head back out.”

“You are dodging the question.”

He scoffed. “What I do with the other Selected is none of your business. And as a Selected, you know you have no rights to ask those questions.”

His mind reminded him: _Annabeth asked you stuff and you told her. What about that?_

_That’s different! She is Annabeth._

“Well, how about saying you’re not giving any of us a fair chance then?” She asked.

He frowned more. “Look, I’m sitting here with you. You kissed me in front of so many people that it is going to be in the papers tomorrow. Which part of this is not giving you a chance?”

“Why, Percy?” She sounded hurt. “What worries you more? That Annabeth is gonna see us in the papers tomorrow or that she’s wondering what you’re doing now with me?”

_What?_

“Okay. You know what?” He got up. “I get it that you feel the things you do. But you need to work this on your own. Get over it, Rachel. Weren’t you the one who told me that Annabeth shouldn’t be jealous? What are _you_ doing now then?”

She tried to protest but he was already walking out.

He turned around to make his final statement. “No, it was never Annabeth and Percy against the world. It was _the world_ against Annabeth and Percy.”

_And for some reason, that worked out for us._

……………………………

Annabeth didn’t think much about Percy after that. She hurried to practice and got her punishment. She put in an extra hour after everyone else to compensate her loss. After dinner, she started to feel the pain in her muscles from all those push ups. She decided to take a bath (after 10 pm) to soothe her aching muscles because she couldn’t sleep.

_Tomorrow was going to be painful._

When she hit the bed, it was really late. However, before sleeping, she took out the secret phone to hide it in a better place. Just after she switched it on, a message popped up and it just said: ‘Agent Green.’

In a second, Annabeth went from mentally howling in pain to smiling like a madman (well, woman in her case).

She clicked on the ‘select’ button and read the message.

Immediately, her heart skipped a beat and ran twice as faster the next second.

She stared at the message, not knowing what to say.

The message itself was very simple. It was the picture of a lottery ticket.

_A lottery ticket saying ‘127-143’ in the middle, in big bold characters._

_Schist._

………………………

Behind the scenes: The someone who texted Jason to hit Percy is actually Piper.

Spoiler: Next chapter will leave Rachel really disappointed and angry and some more emotions. Annabeth may share some of these emotions but overall, she will handle things better because she has got enough (and will get enough) advise from the royals themselves. That is Annabeth's real plus point.

Oh, and you'll get to know how Percy sent that image to her and where it came from.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

**Okay, I know what you're gonna say: Where is the report?**

**What can I say? I wrote too much. So, I decided to split it into two chapters.**

**And... to all the Percabeth fans, decode that number. Why? Because if you do, you won't be half as disappointed with all the Perchel moments as you are now.**

**I was torn between giving you two chapters or cutting out part of my ideas that I've already wrote. Personally, I don't want to do option 2 so I spit it! In whatever scale you calculate, this story isn't gonna end with just 20 chapters. I have planned too many things to let it waste now. My 'set of events' only *starts* with the second tests so yeah.**

**Hope it will be okay if I change the chapter count now! I hope you don't mind the overall delay.**

**But hey, if you thought the story so far was good then you need to read the set of events. Till now, I've basically just pulled in everyday ideas and woven a tale out of my imagination with two basic things: Percabeth and Selection. Which is why I named it Percabeth Selection (haha, very creative I know.)**

Happy reading!

Thoughts please!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Overall, a friendly chapter, right?


	14. "Lady Annabeth or Lady Rachel?"

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**“Fate will come looking for you. Don't bother hiding.”**  
 **― Lauren Bjorkman**

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_Hey you! Note the time change. Percy’s POV from Tuesday:_ _**(A/N: Yes, I wrote so much and Tuesday still didn’t get over for Percy. Now do you see why I had to split the chapter?)** _ ****

After that little disagreement (or was that a fight?) Percy changed his cloths to something that could blend in with the crowd.

Ever been the chief guest of an event and tried to _blend in_?

Don’t let Percy convince you otherwise. It _is_ impossible.

So, what did Percy do?

He put on baggy pants that was totally not his style, an XXXL full sleeve shirt that was probably as long as Rachel’s frock with so much space that three Percys could fit in and completed it with black glasses, black masks and all. To touch up, he practically fit his entire head inside his hood.

The problem with this look was: No one wears masks, glasses and gloves unless you really don’t want someone to recognise you. So, that either made Percy the I’m-your-neighbourhood-famous-person or I’m-the-criminal-these-guards-are-looking-for.

Now, they looked like three criminals in an overcrowded event - which wasted all their effort in dressing up as it gave them way more attention than they wanted.

The funniest thing was Connor and Travis had to do it too because Jason was out trying to find Leo.

Connor dragged Percy to a small tent. “You’ve been to literally every popular event today.”

Travis finished for him. “But you forgot the most popular one!”

“Lottery.” They said together.

Percy approached the counter and paid the ticket money. The guy on the other side looked skeptically at him. “Put your hand in and take one card, lad.”

Connor snatched the card as soon as Percy took it out. He showed the number to Travis and they burst out laughing – not the ‘emoji on whatsapp laughing’ where you hardly actually laugh. No, these two were clutching their stomach, bending their knees, hands on each other’s shoulders and laughing – _hard._ Every now and then one would look at the other like he wanted to comment but won’t be able to because of all that laughter.

Percy couldn’t help the smile on his face. “What?”

They looked at each other, back at Percy and laughed even harder.

Travis said in between his laughs. “Right… number… for the… right man.”

Jason found this exact moment the best time to join them. From a distance, he looked at the two brothers like they lost a few nuts and bolts. Percy found it hard to argue with that. Now, one was holding his knees and laughing; while the other was practically half on top of his brother, laughing.

Connor’s eyes were sparkling and he wiped them, “Okay, hey, Percy.” He laughed. “Guess the number.”

“Yeah.” Travis showed all his teeth. “Oh gods. My stomach hurts.” He laughed some more. “It is a six-digit number but actually…” He laughed. “Just guess the last three digits.”

Percy was clueless. “My birthday?” He asked.

They shook their heads. Their laugher died a little but they were still having teasing smiles on.

“Annabeth’s birthday?”

Connor widened his eyes and sucked in his lips in as if surprised.

Travis smirked. “Something to do with her, sure.” He looked back at his brother. “No… don’t make me laugh.” But Connor cracked up at that and Travis couldn’t stop it either. “My… stomach…”

Jason stepped next to Connor who smiled widely as he showed the ticket to him.

He smiled too and looked at Percy. “Wait, _you_ took this out?”

Travis pointed at the ticket like he was trying to make Jason see something else. Jason laughed.

Percy was starting to lose interest. He looked around at the place and something from his side vision stood out. On his left, where the garden met with the highway, there was an old-fashioned tent selling fruits. The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of bloodred cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of claw-foot tub full of ice. There were no customers.

Just three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting socks.

All the three women looked ancient, with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses. Percy approached them.

Jason came beside him. “We need to go find Leo. I talked to the bar’s manager and he says Leo never approached him. Something is wrong.”

Travis grinned. “What do we have here?”

The one in the middle pointed to a board on the side. It said: _Free fortune cookie samples._

Connor grabbed one of the cookies from the basket. “Hey, it is free!” Travis grabbed one too.

Travis split out the cookie and put it in his mouth before reading. “ _Your true love is closer than you think.”_ He chuckled. “Typical. I should have got like 10 of these by now.”

Connor frowned at his cookie. “That’s not fair!”

“Why?” Percy asked.

He held out the slip. “It says _Oops, wrong cookie!”_ They all laughed. “Nevermind. I’ll just take another.”

When he reached out to the basket, the old lady on the right hit his hand. She held up one finger as if to say only one chance and looked at Jason.

Jason shrugged and picked one up. “ _Your best friend is like your family._ ” He rolled his eyes at the paper and abandoned the cookie. “How will I know? I don’t _have_ a family. Guys, we should head back.”

Connor said. “No. Wait. This one’s luck is running wild today. Let us see what he picks.”

The old lady in the middle looked at the basket and back at Percy. When Percy pulled out one cookie, she smiled wickedly like she knew what was inside.

_Percy got the weirdest feeling that he had picked up the exact cookie that she was looking at before._

“ _Best friends are better than life partners and you are lucky if she is._ ”

“If she is what?” Connor asked.

Jason shoved the cookie to Percy’s mouth. “It is another stupid quote. Can we get going? Leo, remember?”

Percy nodded. When they were near the bar where Leo had got ‘lost’, something else caught his attention.

There was a young boy in a small tent selling all kinds of dollars, pendants and stone jewelry. Percy noticed that he was scratching something on a small oval shaped piece of rock hooked on one side to make a pendant.

“You make these?” Percy asked. An idea came to his mind.

“Yes.” The boy replied.

“How long does it take?”

“Depends on what you want me to make.”

Percy nodded. “Where do I make my design?”

After he was little satisfied with his horrible drawing, he handed it over to the boy and checked if he could get it done by the next day. He stepped out of the tent. Someone grabbed his shoulders and he jumped.

When he turned, he found the old lady who sat at the middle of the three ladies with the basket in her hand. “You dropped this.” She held out the lottery ticket and Percy took it from her to see the number.

_He didn’t get why the Stolls laughed so hard._

“Choose, your highness.” She said, holding out the basket.

How she found him in the middle of nowhere? Percy had no idea.

Why she was asking him to choose again? He had no idea.

How she recognized him? _Okay that is obvious._

He reached out to pick one but the lady held his wrist in a death grip.

“Choose wisely. You cannot open it yourself. Someone else must. You will be choosing someone else’s fate.”

Percy gawked at her. He nodded and thought about which cookie stood out for him – which felt completely stupid since they were all identical – At last, he picked up one from deep inside the basket.

The old lady’s face was unreadable. “Interesting choice, Perceus.”

Jason waved at him from a distance and gave a face like: _Get here, you idiot. I’m waiting for you._

Percy had no chance to ask how the old lady knew his real name. When he turned back to look at her, she had vanished.

 _Besides_ , he reasoned, _it isn't a secret. Everybody knows. Just, no one uses it._

When he approached Jason, he was holding a glass with some sort of drink in it. 

Jason asked, “What were you doing there for so long?!”

Percy dodged the question. “What happened?”

Jason started walking inside the bar. “I don’t know. Connor just gave me this drink and rushed back in.”

Percy asked, “And Travis?”

“Gave me an empty glass after drinking from it.” Jason sighed.

Percy chuckled. “What is it, anyway?” He took the glass from Jason. It looked too innocent to be alcohol and too carbonated to be fruit juice.

Jason said. “Orange juice, apparently. I don’t believe it.”

Percy was craving for some liquid so he took a sip and laughed. “Fanta, man. Want it?”

Jason cringed. “Not my favorite.”

Percy shrugged and drowned the rest of the drink.

…………………………

Jason was 99.99% sure he was going to get fired.

Sally had asked him (through his Bluetooth) why they weren’t getting going yet. He explained by saying how Leo had got lost in a stripper’s bar.

Usually, Jason was only Percy's personal guard but in the royals' absence, especially outside the castle, he was supposed to play a parent role too. 

Why? Because it was Percy. He needed more babysitting and scolding than he needed protection.

So, ever had the incredible opportunity to tell your boss (who also happens to be the Queen of the Kingdom) that you brought her eldest child (who also happens to have a Selection in process) to a _strippers’_ bar?

Ever had an opportunity see the reaction of a Selected when she heard the news?

Oh no, don’t misunderstand. _That_ wasn’t why Jason was about to get fired.

The problem was that him and Percy had decided to check for Leo in the right and left side of the ground floor respectively and then meet in the middle.

Only, Percy didn’t.

Jason, the Prince’s personal security guard had lost Percy, the Prince.

_Yeah. 99.99% sure._

Have you ever really needed your staples, lost it and searched your entire house for it? Of course, it would magically reappear after you give up and painstakingly use gum on every page. The next day, you wake up and look at them and surprisingly, they are there but then you suddenly want to hear songs and your earphone goes missing...?

That is sort of what Jason felt.

Minutes after losing Percy, Travis had told him through the intercom that he had found Leo passed out in some couch in the basement and had poured an entire bottle of whatever drink he found first, on Leo, to wake him up.

Jason didn’t complain. Leo deserved what he got.

What was he even doing in this place for so long?

_No. I didn’t want an answer to that._

The guards were all around the ground floor by now, throwing out everyone who wasn’t Percy. Although the ground floor was practically empty now, he could hear the party still going on around him, in the first floor.

Connor opened the door to a few rooms and closed it just as soon. Jason did the same.

Connor shouted - “No fish yet!”- to the guards on the other side of floor. He turned to Jason. “I hope we don’t find him like that.”

Jason nodded. It was one thing finding Percy in a compromised position in this late teenage. It was another when reporters were on their toes, waiting outside for something as scandalous as this during _The Selection_.

Jason opened the door to a room and his jaw dropped.

There is good news and bad news. As a (hopefully) good author, I prefer to say the good things first.

He found Percy.

The bad thing? He found Percy sitting on a wooden chair with his hood off, mask off and glasses off.

What is so bad, right?

Well, how about the fact that he had a blond model running one of her exposed legs over his torso from behind him?

The girl had a gold two-piece lingerie which (thank gods) wasn’t a see through. It was already revealing enough on its own.

And, thank Elysium, the Queen hadn’t entered the bar.

Unfortunately, Rachel had.

Percy grinned at Jason. “Hey Superman!”

Rachel didn’t say a word. She just stared at Percy; shell shocked.

Jason didn’t have time for her drama. He called out. “CONNOR!” He rushed to Percy’s side and glared at the stripper.

“What?” She said as she took off her legs from over Percy and reached for her golden robe. “This isn’t illegal.”

Jason was angry. There was no way she didn’t recognize Percy. He was the Kingdom’s heartthrob, after all. But instead of showing the anger to _her_ , he slapped Percy.

_Hard._

And… Percy giggled.

_What the Hades?_

Jason turned to the girl and snarled. “Did you give him something?”

“No. Your dude was high.” She rolled her eyes.

Jason grit his teeth. “Why didn’t you tell the guards then? You knew he was the Prince-”

The girl gave a look of complete surprise (which lasted too long and convinced Jason that it was nothing surprising for her). "Oh my gosh, seriously, I didn't eve-"

"Save it. "

She rolled her eyes. “Uh-duh.”

Connor came in just then. “I jinxed it, didn’t I?” He looked at Rachel. “I told you to follow me!”

Rachel was already walking towards Percy and Jason was surprised she wasn’t running out after what she had seen. The only other person who has seen Percy like this was Annabeth and she would just march right in and knock him out so he won’t talk.

Yeah. It was Jason's responsibility to make sure no one knocks the Prince out but he was kind of hoping Rachel will do that.

As Jason tried to get Percy up, he clung to him like a sloth to a tree. He then pointed at Rachel and said. “Do I know you? You look familiar.” Percy squinted his eyes. “Oh, hey Hazel! When did you come here?”

Rachel opened her mouth to say something but she failed. The girl in the golden robe chuckled at her. “Selected, huh?” She shook her head and chucked. “He is just playing you, girl. You’re not too different from us.” She looked down at Rachel’s dress. “We just have shiny dresses.”

Rachel shook her head. “Get off of me.”

Connor frowned. “What did you give him?” He asked the girl.

She rolled her eyes. “Nothing. He was already on something. Does being the Prince give him access to crazy stuff? Because that’s just amazing.”

Percy put one of his hand on Jason’s hair and started caressing it. “Maybe you’re riggghttt… I may have a thing for blonds.” He giggled. “You’re blond and I love you, my bro!” He hugged Jason sideways.

Jason cringed. Okay, it was nice to know Percy cared about him although he really doesn’t have to but this wasn’t any time or place for their bromance.

Connor chuckled. “Well, at least this time he isn’t running. Man, what did you drink?”

Weirdest thing was: Jason couldn’t smell anything on him. He definitely looked drunk out of his mind but he didn’t smell like it. He smelled like soap, if anything.

Percy held out his middle finger and thumb finger curved in a way to show a shot. “Or-orange juice.”

Jason frowned. “A margarita? How did that get you like this?”

“Yeah dude, you’re pissed off your mind.” Connor added.

“No. I’m not! Look… I can stand on my feet.” He struggled to focus again and stood on his own feet for about five seconds before leaning heavily against Rachel. Jason and Connor made him lean back on them again.

Percy made a sound between a whimper and a whine. He looked straight at Rachel. “You know… I never noticed, you have dreamy eyes.”

The stripper girl lifted her eyebrows. “You know, you’re not too bad yourself.” She smiled up at Jason.

Jason tried to give his best displeased look. “Not interested. Now get lost if you don’t want a punishment.”

She smiled and turned back but before she went out, she said, “I don’t think I’ll mind one from you.”

When Jason looked back, Connor was gawking at him. “No. Don’t even start-”

“What? A totally hot girl hits on you and you say no? How many times am I gonna see this in my life?”

“Why? Which is part is-”

Travis came in. “You’re forgetting the job idiots.”

Connor nodded and dragged Percy towards the door. “By the way, where is the drink I gave you? We need to give it to Leo.”

The Stoll brothers shared a mischievous look.

“Uh, Percy drank it.” Jason said.

Even as he said it, he could see the Stolls going pale.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE DRANK-”

“WHY’D YOU GIVE IT TO HIM??”

_Orange Juice._

Jason shouted. “What did you do??!”

Travis looked scared. “Well, we _may_ have mixed some stuff up-”

Jason’s eyes widened. “YOU ROOFIED PERCY?”

“It was supposed to be for Leo!” Connor argued.

_Well, looks like three people will be losing their jobs then._

………………………

Annabeth woke up on Wednesday to a whole lot of chaos. **(Haha, yes, pun intended)**

On one hand, she wasn’t sure what felt towards Frederick, her dad, who actually left halfway across the country without a goodbye. But then, she was the one who refused to meet him so… that was that. And let us not forget Athena. Athena knocked on her door late at night (just when Annabeth was about to sleep) and she tried to talk to her. Annabeth _may_ have lashed out at Athena who managed to let go of enough of her ego to say ‘you don't deserve the Selection’ to her own daughter.

What can she say?

Families are complicated, right?

Then, there was this half-brother Malcom who kept checking on her, reminding her of small things, making conversation, doing ‘brotherly’ things like waking her up (His words, not hers.) Sure, it was all sweet and everything but… well, Annabeth wasn’t complaining per se… It just felt new to her.

_Having a blood related family._

Is that even a thing? Blood-related family?

It was to her though. All the people who acted like family lived under this roof and until now, none of them were her blood.

Oh yeah. Let’s not forget Percy here.

Who texted her an ‘I love you’?

Yes. Percy texted her an ‘I love you’.

That lottery ticket? 143: standard code for ‘I love you’.

I know what you are thinking. How does _that_ translate to _this?_ Well, ‘I’ is 1 because it is one letter. ‘Love’ is four. ‘You’ is three.

Annabeth couldn’t see what the 127 meant though. Maybe: _I am kidding?_

She gave herself a break and skipped breakfast the next morning.

So, you can imagine it was bit of a shock for Annabeth to enter the girls’ common room to find some girls crying, some frustrated and some looking pretty pitiful.

She was about to sit down with Jade and Valentina when she heard Drew scoff from the table next to hers. Drew took one look at Annabeth and the corner of her mouth quirked up. She smashed the magazine in her hand next to Annabeth.

Annabeth got up. She was fed up of being pushed around like this by Drew. “What do you want?” She snapped.

Drew held out one hand as if to say _stop._ “Hold your horses, princess. Everyone else knows. You’re late.” She gestured to the magazine.

It had a full-page image of Percy and Rachel kissing.

Annabeth stared, not knowing what to think of it. From the looks of it, they were kissing right in front of the camera. It was too clear for it to be from a distance.

_Since when did Percy show affection publicly?_

_Oh yeah_ , her mind offered, _since Rachel maybe._

“I _told_ you. I told _everyone_! Rachel is faking the pain to get close to the Prince. Now!” She looked at Maria, Cassy and Katie – Rachel’s gang, “Now do you believe me?”

Drew scoffed. “First kiss _and_ first public kiss.” She looked at Katie. “And how many dates have you got, princess?” She turned to Calypso. “Have you been kissed yet?”

Annabeth wasn’t sure if Drew noticed or not but Calypso looked shocked.

_No. It couldn’t be._

“Exactly!” She addressed everyone now. “No one else have got any kisses here. She is manipulating him. Anyone can say the Prince is smitten by her!”

Cassey offered, “Rachel is genuinely nice. She is not like you.”

Drew leaned down closer to her face. “Then honey, can you explain why he is on a private tour with _one_ Selected when _nineteen_ others are in the castle working asses off for the competition?”

Cassey couldn’t argue with that.

“That is not all, you know?” Drew turned back to Annabeth and started reading from the magazine. “Her majesty and the Prince enjoyed a private breakfast at Nobleman Dare’s residence. When asked about it, the Prince said, quote, ‘It was great. They had prepared so much that I got full by just looking at everything. But, most importantly, it was really fun.’ Sources have confirmed that he smiled at Lady Rachel at that statement. We audience wonder what else the Prince is hiding from us. However, when asked about their relationship, he replied by saying that Ichor has to wait for the next _Report._ The next _Report_ is due on Thursday and you’ll get to hear from -”

Amber, who was sitting in the sofa, going through a common iPad, gasped. “Girls!”

Drew got irritated. “What? Can’t you see I’m bu-”

Amber ignored her. “Have any of you seen _Celebrity Gossip_ today?”

Drew gave a what-do-you-think-I’m-doing look.

“No. I mean _The Celebrity Gossip_. The famous and infamous page where they upload videos and articles from all gossip sites?” She approached Drew and passed the iPad to her.

All colour drained from Drew’s face as she read the article. Without a word, she gave it to Katie and looked away.

Annabeth was curious. _What was so bad about it that Drew had looked away?_

Katie clapped her hands over her mouth. Was it just Annabeth or did she look like she wanted to cry?

Piper entered the common room. “What is going on?”

Annabeth snatched the tab from Cassey and started reading. “Prince Percy was last seen in the event yesterday at 8: 38 pm when he kissed Lady Rachel. However, it is rumoured that Queen Sally left the scene only at 10:15. Where was the Prince till then? Of course, many people just tell us that he could have left earlier but then…”

A blurry video was attached below. It looked like someone from inside a bar took it. At first it was just showing a swarm of people but then, it zoomed in to focus on one couple. The girl had a golden robe on and she was pinning a guy to the wall and whispering something to him to which he drunkenly nodded.

_WHAT?_

She didn’t see it at first but the guy looked like Percy.

_Wait a minute, it was Percy._

Annabeth felt sick.

_It couldn’t be._

Piper leaned closer to her and read further. “Several people from the bar report seeing the Prince with a woman. Who is this woman? Is she a Selected? Did he bring someone else to the event?”

More images were attached below, all showing four people moving through a murky lane from different angles. It would be impossible to say for anyone else but Annabeth had known these people her whole life. She recognised Jason almost instantly, given his cloths weren’t as shady as the rest. Judging by the height, the other two could be the Stoll brothers but Annabeth couldn’t be sure.

Percy though. He looked drunk out of his mind. He was heavily leaning on Jason and Annabeth wondered if she’d be able to tell it was him if it wasn’t for the height comparison.

“And then a few minutes later Lady Rachel is escorted by one of the guards to their cars. On-site reporters tell us that the bar has been into some illegal activities because of which it was thoroughly checked, coincidentally, around the same time. But is this just a coincidence? Is it Prince Percy in those images?”

Piper looked at the rest of the Selected, eyes wide. “No. This can’t be Percy! Girls, seriously, he isn’t like this!” Her voice turned unsure and she looked at Annabeth for help. “He isn’t, right?”

Drew scoffed. “Have you kept up with _any_ gossip in your life, Piper? You don’t even have a clue about the Prince’s past rumours, do you?”

“He is the Prince! Of course, there were rumours! That doesn’t mean anything!” Piper defended. “Tell her, Annabeth. You know Percy better than any of us!”

All the Selected turned to her.

For a minute, she didn’t know what to say.

Or rather, how much to say.

_No._

_Percy is a good person._

_They need to understand that._

“No. It can’t be him. The most he drinks is champagne or wine and he never lets it get out of hand.” Annabeth placed the tab down. “These people are connecting random facts and making an irritating theory out of it. Seriously girls, I mean, a public kiss? I doubted he would have done that but _this_ … this is just absurd.”

_She hoped her tone sounded convincing enough._

Katie frowned. “What about the tattoo then? Nobody believed that was true either.”

Annabeth felt like hitting herself. _Gosh, she hit it right on point._

When Percy was 17, he had got a tattoo with the letters SPQR on his arm with a trident symbol. The gossip sites had absorbed the news like sponge after photos of him in the store were leaked. It went as far as to the tattoo artist getting hate comments over ‘tricking’ him into getting the tattoos. Percy had hid it from public for nearly a year. By then, the tide turned and he got way more support for it. It was one of his biggest early gossip.

Annabeth said, “And it was also rumoured that he had a spine tattoo. I can tell you. That isn’t true.”

Drew narrowed her eyes at her. “How would _you_ know?”

_Schist._

_Well, I can’t exactly tell her that I saw his back._

_Didn’t that feel hot?_

_Just a few nights ago._

_In Percy’s room._

…while playing UNO. Readers, where are your minds going?

Okay, moving on. (Note to self: This is supposed to be rated T.)

Annabeth stared right back at her. “Because I asked him and he said no. Also, we’ve gone swimming together.”

A few girls gasped.

Amber asked. “Did he take you out of the castle too?”

“No. This was like 2 years ago. Look, my point is: Percy is a good guy. He talked to all of you, right? Did he sound like a jerk? Did he look like one?”

The girls shook their heads.

Piper said. “Good then. Let’s get ready for practice.”

While walking back to her room, Piper stopped her.

“Was it Percy?” She asked.

Annabeth debated in her mind if she should say the truth. “Yes. I think it was.”

“Dam. When Jason texted me that something happened… well, I didn’t think it was this bad.”

“What? Jason texted you?”

Piper blushed. “Long story.”

Annabeth sighed. “Percy didn’t sound too off when I called him either.”

Piper’s eyes widened. “What do you mean when you _called_ him?!”

Annabeth smirked. “Long story.”

Piper laughed. “Let us share our long stories then.”

…………….

Percy was late. Him, Sally and Rachel were supposed to arrive on Thursday morning but only Rachel did – which didn’t really make anyone happy.

_The Report is in 10 minutes, where are you?_

They were in the auditorium again. The rest of the royal family sat on sofas and Selected on chairs in three rows, one above the other, just like last time. Only difference, they had an audience today – around 200 people maybe.

Annabeth sat in between Piper and Valentina. She had worn a [gorgeous grey dress.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JgnlRW6M7fP2LfieYw0kDjAQk1Rd5-AE/view?usp=sharing)( **A/N: Click on the link to view the dress. I am adding this feature to previous chapters also. Expect in future too.)** Unlike the red dress from the last report, this was more mesmorising and bigger. Grey material ran down in curls giving the dress a 3D feel.

Miss. Willow said, “Today you will be talking with Apollo individually. 10 of you will do it today and the other 10 will do it after two weeks in the next _Report._ The order is completely random so be prepared to be called anytime. Questions?”

The _Report_ started without Percy.

Paul covered for Sally and Percy and made all their speeches too. After that, Apollo sat down on his sofa. He said, “And… we have the Selection section! Finally! As you’ve all noticed by now, the Prince hasn’t joined us yet today. So, without further ado! I present to you, the Selected!”

The camera shifted to them and focused on their faces randomly.

Apollo: “But before that... I would like to introduce my frenemy Helios who will be the guest for today’s Report. Oh wait, that will be me. He is _guest_ of the guest. Sunshine,” He mocked, “get up here.”

Annabeth wanted to laugh. Everybody knew of the rivalry/friendship between these two. It started with something as simple as them having the same nickname _‘sunshine’_ and went till rivalry between the fans every time one of their movies were released. They were your idea of healthy yet backstabbing competition – always one wanting to be better than the other.

If you want me to put it simply, they were Ichor's version of Loki and Thor (except they weren't Princes.)

Today’s _Report_ was going to be interesting.

Helios nodded his head, amused and walked in. “That is the best you got? Really?”

He sat down on the chair kept between two sofas. “Good evening, Ichor! Have you missed me?”

The crowed hailed.

Helios turned to Apollo, “See that?”

King Paul cleared his throat.

Helios nodded. “I think that is my cue.” The audience laughed and he sat on his chair.

Apollo spoke. “It is my job to mess with the Selected today so… let us pick one!”

He scanned the girls to anyone who stood out to him. “Ah, who is this lovely young Lady in the first row?” He pointed at Calypso.

“Come on. Don’t be shy.” Helios said.

Calypso got up and took a seat on the other side of the sofa.

“Can you tell us your lovely name, please?” Helios smiled at her.

“I’m Lady Calypso.” She turned to the camera. “Good evening, Ichor.”

Apollo gave an exaggerated surprised expression. “Confident! Nice! So, tell us about you.”

Helios and Apollo cross talked.

“Hobbies?”

“Talents?”

“Favourite colour?”

“Have you kissed Prince Percy?” Apollo casually put in.

The audience cheered.

Helios smiled at them. “You know, just the regular questions.”

_They really were quite the entertainers. For someone who used to despise each other, they had great chemistry. Like the Stoll brothers._

“Well, I like gardening. I’m good with animals and plants-”

“Not people?” Helios gave an amused look.

Calypso smiled too. “- _and_ people. Yes, I have kissed the Prince.”

_What?_

_When did she even-?_

The audience cheered louder. The royals looked surprised. The Selected gasped. Drew’s jaw dropped.

_Where was the time to-_

_What?_

_Why didn’t Percy tell me?_

_Didn’t I ask?_

Apollo whistled, “Woah, I wasn’t expecting to make headlines-”

Helios finished for him. “-with the first Selected we talked to! Well, congratulations to you!”

Apollo took control again. “That officially makes you the second person to get a kiss!”

Helios frowned. “Oh. Not the first?”

Apollo gave him a disappointed look. “Which planet have you been hiding in?” He turned to the Selected. “Who else is hiding here?”

Helios: “Yeah, Get out of your closet!”

_Was it just me or did Apollo just look at me?_

“Okay then, can you tell us about your date or was it too private?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Calypso laughed and shook her head. “We had a picnic.”

Annabeth felt a different pang of jealousy this time. Calypso… she looked ethereal, like an actress – no, even better than that. Annabeth felt like she was nothing compared to _her_ beauty.

Apollo didn’t look impressed. “That is what you give us? You had a picnic? Where are the details?”

She smiled and shrugged.

They went on to ask her few more questions but Annabeth was distracted. The coordinator signalled for the cameras to be turned and they switched to the Selected. Few people passed around some papers and checked some mics.

Then, Percy and Sally came out and took their seats with the royals. Percy, in his blue tux, looked in good shape and nothing like the guy in the magazine photos. He immediately looked at the Selected and winked.

On any other day, Annabeth would have rolled her eyes for his cheek. Today, he looked like he hasn’t shaved for the past few days.

It wasn’t _new_ but he didn’t do that often.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Annabeth had spent two entire days thinking about him or maybe it was because she was jealous of Calypso (or was it Rachel?) but whatever it was, the subtle change was enough for her to feel transfixed.

_Gosh, why does he look so good?_

Percy was talking to Paul and Tyson. He didn’t notice Annabeth (and probably all other Selected too) looking at him.

_Well, at least no one can tell me off for staring here._

_If I could just run my hand over that-_

_Or maybe kiss it-_

_No, save it for later._

_Just stare, for now._

She saw Percy look her way, frowning. Her heart skipped a beat when their eyes met.

Suddenly, Piper tapped her thighs. “Hey! Get up.”

“-Lady Annabeth?” Helios said. “Are you alright?”

Everyone stared at her.

Annabeth’s face flushed. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Okay then, you’re next.” Apollo smirked.

Oh my- they had picked her next and that she had completely zoned them out.

_Why? Why does this happen to me?_

She walked over and sat on the sofa. In her embarrassment, she didn’t notice that she sat next to Apollo instead of on the other side of the sofa (like they were instructed.) Apollo didn’t mind though. Why would he? He knew Annabeth just as well as he knew Percy.

“Looks like Lady Annabeth was a little distracted in her own world.” Helios smirked.

Annabeth blushed. “No, I-i-i was just…” She looked around at the unconvinced audience. “…thinking.”

Apollo was amused. “Then, do you wish to share those thoughts?”

_Oh gods._

_Did he notice me staring at Percy?_

_Did everyone notice?_

_Once! I stared at him once!_

_Why? Why does this happen to me?_

Annabeth stuttered. “Uh-i-um..”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Tyson telling Percy to move. He sighed and walked towards Apollo, smiling. He stood in front of him for a second, confused but shrugged and sat on the other side, next to Annabeth.

Annabeth felt like hitting herself. She was supposed to sit where he was sitting currently so Apollo could move when Percy came. That way, Apollo would be in between the Prince and the Selected.

Now, Annabeth messed that up and would have to do the entire interview with Percy next to her.

 _Hey, that is not such a bad thing…,_ her mind said.

She argued: _Yeah? What about Miss. Willow’s lecture later then?_

_Right. Yes but… well, don’t you think it is worth it?_

_Shut up!_

“What did I miss?” Percy asked.

“Oh, we should be asking that question! Did you kiss Lady Calypso?” Apollo mocked him.

 _Sure, ask about_ her _with me in between you two. Why not?_

“Yeah. I did.” Percy’s smile faded ever so slightly and he looked at Annabeth.

Helios put his one hand over his chest and gave a shocked expression. “Now you’re gonna shock us and say something like you’ve kissed Lady Annabeth too!”

Annabeth smiled because she understood his technique. He was just tricking Percy into giving him information.

Percy though, fell straight for it. He scratched his neck. "Ah... About that..."

"Wait." Apollo said. "You seriously did?"

Percy slid his arm around her shoulders but they didn't touch her. He touched the sofa. "Yeah. Yeah we did."

Annabeth dared to look at Percy and her heart skipped a beat when she found him staring at her.

The Selected gasped again. She looked at the royal family for their reaction and only Sally smiled. 

The rest were too busy giving meme worthy expressions.

Apollo just stopped speaking for a second, as if letting all the information settle in – obviously another one of his entertainment techniques.

Helios took over. “You got me there. Well, you know what we’re gonna ask now.”

Apollo nodded. “When? How?” His eyes widened. “Tell us everything.”

Annabeth said. “When we were in the rooftop-”

At the same time Percy was like, “In her room-”

They looked at each other and blushed, “Okay that one.”

Percy said, “-well, we made pizzas-”

At the same time Annabeth said, “-after going to the library-”

Helios was flabbergasted. Apollo’s jaw dropped and it felt pretty convincing. Annabeth couldn’t tell if he was doing it for the show or if he was genuinely this surprised. “You know what? Wait. Backup. In the rooftop? Pizzas? In her _room_?” He widened his eyes at Percy at the last one and shook his head. “What is going on here?”

 _Okay, Annabeth. You are not looking at Percy again. Please, your face is red enough already,_ she thought.

 _But I want to... just a little,_ her mind argued.

_NO. I said no._

_Fine. Party pooper._

“No. No. Wait.” Helios said. “This is airing live now but for the free non live repeat version that is airing tomorrow.” He pointed at the camera. “This is the perfect time for your… commercial break, of course. Bringing you the _Report_ sponsored to you by-”

Everyone laughed. He went on, mentioning all the sponsors’ company names.

Apollo leaned forward towards Percy and Annabeth. “You two should get your facts straight.”

“-And, no, DON’T tune out. You’ll miss what these two are gonna say.”

Apollo: “Free-non-live-repeat version? Really? It is called the _Report_.”

Helios, frowning slightly: “What is this called then?”

Apollo: “The _Live Report_.”

“Oh yeah, that makes sense.”

“You’ve been living here forever! How do you not know this?”

“Hey, that’s not fair. You called my sister Selena in front of thousands of people and they thought they were meeting Gomez! _My sister!_ I never-”

Percy looked between the two of them. “Um… guys? This is still going live, you know?”

Annabeth's mind said: _Hey, did you notice? His voice sounds so good today._

_Shut up._

_Seriously, just turn around and-_

_I SAID SHUT UP!_

Apollo cleared his throat. “Welcome back everyone! Let’s get on with the gossips then. So, from what I’ve heard. You went to the library with Lady Annabeth here, ate pizzas in the rooftop and then -” He looked reluctant.

Helios offered. “Walked her to her room?”

Percy’s face scrunched up. “You’re confusing two different dates. Although, yeah, walking her to her room would’ve been more practical-”

Apollo: “What? You just went inside her room then?”

Percy and Annabeth looked at each other and laughed.

_Okay, this is more comfortable._

Annabeth said, “That also happened!”

Helios sighed. “Don’t ask questions. Let them explain.”

Percy nodded. “On our first date, we ate lunch in the library. I _brought_ her down to her room.” He looked pointedly at Annabeth at that and she felt a weird kind of heat in her chest. “And we kissed.”

The crowd cheered.

Annabeth convinced herself to not look at him or anyone else because she was blushing too much. “The second date. Happened last Friday. We made pizzas in the rooftop and ate them.”

Apollo and Helios nodded. Helios said, “Well, when you say you _made_ the pizzas…”

“Crust was already done. We added sauce and ingredients and waited while we danced.”

Apollo whistled again and looked at the camera. “Couple goals everyone! Take your girlfriend to your terrace with homemade pizzas and dance. And to all the girls there, make your man do it!”

Helios asked, “When was the first kiss then?”

Annabeth answered instantly. “Few weeks ago.”

Apollo looked at the Prince like Percy betrayed him. “Few _weeks_ ago??” He pointed at Percy. “Was this before the report or after the report?”

Percy hissed. “Before.”

The audience, royals and the Selected were surprised.

Apollo, mock angry: “Can I know why we didn’t get this TWO WEEKS BACK then??”

Percy shrugged. “I didn’t ask her if she’d be alright if I told it. Besides, you looked very happy with one name so…”

Annabeth felt uncomfortable.

He was right, of course. Ugh, she hated it when he was _this_ right. She wasn’t ready back then for everyone to know.

_Then why did it hurt in the back of my mind when he didn’t mention me?_

“Okay then.” Helios said. “I’m not happy this week. Not until we hear _all_ the names.”

Percy laughed. “That is everyone. I promise.”

“Wait a second.” Said Apollo, “If it was before the last report, then who was your first kiss? Lady Annabeth or Lady Rachel?”

Annabeth said, “Lady Rachel.”

At the same time Percy told, “Annabeth.” He looked at Annabeth, frowned and repeated. “My first kiss was with Lady Annabeth.”

Annabeth looked at Percy like: _Why are you lying now?_

The auditorium suddenly got so silent that they could hear the cameras clicking pictures. In a heartbeat, someone cheered. Then, they all erupted in a series of ooos, awws and aaas.

_Okay no, I'm definitely NOT looking at Percy now._

For once, her mind agreed with her.

She didn’t look at the Selected but it felt as if she could sense lots of emotions radiating from her right side. They were mostly very healthy emotions like jealousy with a spike of anger, betrayal with an undertone of vain vanity, maybe some unshed tears and a few silent curse words. Oh, and Drew’s face must be a good meme right about… now.

Yep. She was officially not going to the common room anymore.

Piper’s happiness and smile was comforting though.

Wait a second, I am forgetting someone.

Ah, yes, Miss Willow. What would Annabeth not give to see her face right now?

_Okay, yeah, she won’t give Percy._

Apollo shook his head. “You never cease to amaze us, your highness.”

Percy grinned.

Apollo: “I think we’re rewriting headlines to ‘The Prince tricks his own kingdom’-”

Helios: “Or ‘How the Prince fooled Sunshine Apollo’”

Apollo: “Hey!”

Percy, sighing: “Guys, get a room.”

Apollo and Helios, both retching: “Eww..”

Everyone laughed.

Helios: “Okay so, this may sound a little stupid but you two look pretty close. Have you known each other for a while or-”

They nodded. Annabeth said. “We’ve known each other since we were 12.”

Helios: “Oh wow, is it fate then? That you were Selected?”

Apollo jumped in, “Lady Annabeth was the replacement for Lady Mischelle.”

As soon as he said it, Percy gave his _stop-here-and-edit-it-out_ face.

Apollo, clearing his throat: “Right then. We have one specific question for you here. Someone has noticed that you and the Prince wear similar necklaces, is this true?”

Percy took out his Camp Half Blood necklace from inside his tux shirt and Annabeth absentmindedly touched hers.

“Yes.” Percy said, “It is true. We have one representing each year.”

Helios: “So, is this something you two do, or-” He looked at the royal family. “Are others included?”

Tyson and Estelle got up and showed their own beads.

“We have a group of people who do it.” Annabeth said.

Helios smiled. “Like a tradition then. Cool.”

Apollo: “Well, we basically burned our time with you today. So, next time, everyone.”

The audience made a disappointed sound like: _aww…_

Helios: “I know you have questions so send them to us and we’ll ask them the next time we talk to Lady Annabeth here. It has been a pleasure with you and we might just squeeze Percy for more information next time.”

When Annabeth got up to leave, Percy did too because he had to sit on the other side of Apollo. The cameras stopped rolling and they took a small break, drinking water and chatting with the audience.

Oh, I almost forgot.

Annabeth _really_ couldn’t concentrate on the rest of the Report because when Percy was sure that the cameras had turned off, he had smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead like he was amused.

Sure, after everything, Annabeth was amused too.

However, the slight brush of his unkept facial hair over her forehead evoked different other, more _prominent,_ feelings in her.

………………..

After the _Report_ was over and Willow had oh-so-flawlessly pointed out everyone’s flaws, Annabeth found Percy waiting for her. Carefully, she waited till everyone else left. He nodded to all the girls who went by his side and at long last, touched his nose and tilted his head ever so slightly as an invitation.

His guards were still on his side but they weren’t anyone she recognised so she asked, “Where is Jason?”

Percy frowned. “I come home after four days and you ask me where Jason is?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “I mean, why isn’t he guarding you?”

“Jason is seriously tired after the trip. He took a few days off.” Percy explained.

“Oh.” Annabeth said. “Why did you lie to Apollo?”

“When did I lie to him?” He looked at the ground.

“Rachel-” She started.

“Wise Girl, what exactly did he ask?”

“You know what he asked, why are-”

“Just, tell me.” 

“He asked you who you kissed first, Rachel or me.” 

“No. He asked me who my _first_ kiss was.” Percy put emphasis on 'first' and looked straight at her. “And I didn’t lie.”

Annabeth’s cheeks flushed. She realised that he was talking about a totally different question. “That was your first?”

Percy grunted. “Obviously! I was fifteen! That was my first! How badly do you think of me?”

They walked forward awkwardly.

Percy looked away. "Was... was that not your first?"

Annabeth blushed harder. "It was."

He nodded. Was it just Annabeth or did his cheeks look little pink too?

_Should I just ask?_

“So, are you going to tell me what happened or?” Annabeth looked at the ground.

Percy stole a glance at her. “What did you hear?”

“Nothing good.” She gave him a straight smile.

“Best way to say it is Jason, the Stolls and Leo roofied me.”

“WHAT?”

“Yep. You’re hearing it right. Four out of eleven trusted royal guards roofied the Prince. I don’t know which one it was though. The last thing I remember is getting a cookie from an old lady on Tuesday night and on Wednesday, I wake up with this horrible headache.”

“A cookie from a lady? Percy, that sounds shady.” **(A/N: LOL, that rhymes.)**

He laughed. “Yeah. Jason says he saw no lady though. So, maybe I was imagining it. I don’t know. I don’t even know if I drank when I was high. Whatever it was, I didn’t want to do it.”

“Wait-” Annabeth said, “- so you don't remember anything?"

"No. Why?" He frowned. "Did I do something?"

"No. Nothing."

_Right then. Sure. The guy sends me a 143 and doesn't even remember it._

_Yep. That sounds like my life._

Percy looked at her skeptically. "What did I do?"

She shrugged. "You sent me random numbers."

He frowned. "Really? Could you figure anything out? Do you remember it?"

She could. She wasn't going to say it though. "No. They were random."

"Probably nothing important." He shook his head at himself.

_Yeah... not important._

It felt like someone was poking her heart continuously with a cold rod.

She thought: _Stop feeling bad, will you? You weren't ready to say it back anyway!_

She decided to change the topic. "So, this leave that Jason is taking…”

Percy nodded. “Is actually a suspension.”

“How long?”

“A week? Maybe two? I don’t know exactly but he will be back.” He turned to Annabeth and his eyes looked vulnerable. “You believe me, right?”

Annabeth slipped her hand onto his and squeezed it. “Of course, I do, Percy. Okay? No doubt to that.”

Percy smiled sadly. “Thanks. Rachel doesn’t. I don’t blame her though. She saw me with the-”

_Ah, yes. The stripper._

Annabeth felt that hot acid kind of feeling in her throat.

She pulled her hands out of his and folded them below her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was the mention of Rachel or the golden girl that ticked her off but she suddenly felt angry.

Angry towards Percy.

Percy immediately stopped talking and looked at her but she didn’t budge. He looked away.

She gritted her teeth. “Did anything happen?”

Percy slipped his hands into his pockets and his expression turned guarded. “Jason says no but honestly speaking, I don’t know. It is a complete blank.”

Annabeth nodded.

Percy went on. “I’m gonna have to spend the next few weeks with the rest of the girls. Also, I think I’ve spent enough time with Rachel. She refused to talk to me after that anyway.”

Annabeth felt like a bitch because somewhere in the back of her mind, she was happy Rachel wasn’t taking to him.

_I’m not a bad person. Stop thinking like this._

“We’ll still talk, right?” She asked.

“If you want to.” He replied.

Annabeth sighed and stopped walking. “Look, I trust you, okay?” She turned to him. “So just… give me some time to process everything. We’ve already been through this before. It will be okay.” She reasoned.

Percy smiled. “Yeah. You’re right. Thank you, though. For… everything, really.”

“What are friends for, Seaweed Brain? Meanwhile, you tell me if you remember anything else. Only the truth, okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I-i will. Um… I’d kiss you but…” He looked at the guards.

Annabeth nodded.

_They weren’t alone._

Annabeth noticed someone on the other side of the hallway.

It was Rachel.

Percy looked at her but he didn’t do anything to approach her and Rachel, by rules, couldn’t approach him when he was with another Selected.

Annabeth felt really uncomfortable, probably jealous and overall, petty.

She _has_ to let Percy do this, though. She deserved an explanation too.

_I can’t cage him._

When they approached closer, Rachel spoke up. “Percy, please don’t-”

Percy said. “What? You wanna talk now?” He scoffed. "I'm busy."

Annabeth hit him on his arms and gave a _be nice_ expression. Percy looked lost. “I’ll see you later.” She said and turned back.

Rachel didn’t look at her and Annabeth felt like punching her for it. _I’m doing you a favour. The least you can do is look like you appreciate it._

She was dying to know what he said to her and to judge exactly how close they got over the trip. Of course, seeing was a bad idea but not knowing and being in the dark was pure torture. She was Annabeth and she trusted what she saw more than anything. Also, she could analyse behaviours.

However, whether or not she felt terrible hearing them talk, she forced herself to walk away before her emotions got out of control.

 _I made the right choice_ , she reminded herself.

When Annabeth entered her room, maybe it was because her eyes were stinging and she was busy trying to make sure those tears stayed inside or maybe it was because of the rush of emotions she felt today or maybe she was just lazy and tried…

Whatever it was, she missed the fact that mysteriously, her secret phone had moved from one drawer of her nightstand to the other.

...........

Think wild, okay? Jason isn't there. 4 of his guards are suspended. Percy is confused and distracted by the selection. We'll see what happens, yeah?

**Whoosh! 8700 words. Okay, this is the biggest chapter you’ll ever get. I seriously wrote too much. Hope it was worth it.**

**Thoughts guys!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoaaa, mystery developing, right?
> 
> Who misplaced the secret phone??  
> *Smiles coldly in the background.*


	15. "Red"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELCOMEEEEEE
> 
> TELL ME IF THIS IS GOOD!  
> HAPPY READING!

“A month??”

Jason shrugged and tossed his equipment over his bed. "It's not a big deal. Meanwhile..." He held out a pamphlet and passed it to Annabeth. "I got advanced shooting training. Bigger guns. Bigger problems."

Annabeth asked. "So, you went away?"

"It's not away. It was Camp Jupiter. Besides, I'm back now.” He frowned, “Why're you asking me this after all this time?”

“They had no clue where you were! You just disappeared!”

“What about Percy? He knew.”

_Ah, there you go._

_Percy._

_Again._

Whether it was the Royals, the Selected, her maids, her friends or even the ex-Selected like Thalia or Clarisse… it honestly didn’t matter who Annabeth talked to. No matter what, it always went back to the same three things: Percy, Percy’s Selection or topping the tournament to impress – you guessed it right – Percy.

Annabeth was fed up of hearing it. 

One, she wasn’t undergoing training for _him_. She was doing it for herself, to improve her skills. Two, she was never supposed to be in the Selection in the first place! Three, unlike every other Selected, she didn’t hit the gyms because she wanted to become 'nice to touch' for him. No, she only started going there because she wanted to... well, to say the truth, she went there to vent out all her anger and other _feelings._

Annabeth looked away. “Percy’s been a little busy these days.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Has he? No one to kick his butt for a few days and messes up again, huh?” He made Annabeth look up at him and pet her hair in a brotherly manner.

Annabeth scowled and pushed his hand away. “Don’t do that.”

He grinned. “Hey! I can’t help it! Your hair is all soft and nice. What shampoo is that?” She scowled harder. Jason turned serious. “But seriously, what did he do?”

Now, that was a question she didn’t hear often. 

_What did he not do?_

It had been over three weeks. 

In no time, the Selected had finished their 21 'on' camp days. It was already 1st July, the last day for practice, and the next day, that is, on July 2nd, they were going to have the official tournament. 

A lot had happened in these weeks – that is – a lot in Percy’s life and slightly lesser in Annabeth’s. She assumed the overall drama must be the same for them. Just... different kind of drama. 

While Annabeth was busy backfiring all the judgemental and betrayed looks and comments given by the Selected (minus Piper, of course), Percy was busy going on dates with them and kissing more girls. While she was busy handling Athena and all the other drama in her life, he was busy looking at starless nights, having picnics in beautiful venues, busy with romantic dinners, dancing in the moonlit gardens with girls who smirked and gave her looks like: _Oh, if you just knew what he did with me yesterday._

The worst part of it all was – like they said – Annabeth knew _exactly_ what he’d been doing with them.

How? Why? 

Because some weeks back, a freak version of herself had decided to be Percy’s best friend and ask him about his first Selection kiss. Back then, it sounded like something she would want to know – because she was his friend – but now...

Now it was just too much. 

She was fed up of being his _friend and friend alone._

Ever since their fight, Percy was pretty open with anything Annabeth asked regarding the Selection or the Selected – both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she didn’t need to hear the exaggerated versions of a date floating from ear to ear in the common room and wonder if it really happened so. A curse because she knew too much; not all stories made it to the common room but all stories definitely reached her – as long as she asked for it.

Percy and Annabeth met a lot but never long enough for it to be a date. It was always between their routines where Percy would fill her up on what he was up to with whom and ask her on how the Selected did in training. 

It was seriously starting to look as if he was using his 'best friend Annabeth' to get inside information on the Selected.

At first, Annabeth was the one grilling him till he looked uncomfortable or awkward sharing things. To her defence, she did it only because she wanted to know instead of staying in the dark. Finally, it had gone to a point where, even without her asking, he had told her how he’d taken Drew on a nice evening walk and kissed her next to Zeus’s fist – to which Annabeth backfired a very rude version of “don’t tell me things I didn’t ask for!”

Percy had stood stunned and silent a minute before his guards reminded him of yet another meeting he was getting late for. He'd given her a chaste kiss like - _Later, okay?_ \- and left.

To his defence, it didn’t feel like he considered her as 'just a friend' because they kissed. 

Often? Uh, no.

Few countable times.

It was all chaste, short, nothing deep: not even a little tongue touching or neck pecking, usually in the middle of the hallway, and always, ALWAYS, with his guards few feet away from them, (meaning, absolutely no privacy whatsoever,) but she took what she got. He tried to convince her a few times to let him inside her room but she refused.

She wasn’t comfortable letting her lifelong crush kiss her after strenuous practice. A lot of problems with that: she was sweaty, her breath probably didn’t smell nice, she had all kinds of dirt over her cloths and hands from the practice. Most importantly, she felt self-conscious around him because he never looked anything less than incredible in his custom-made Gucci and Saint Laurent suits.

Also, the fact that he was either going to or coming from a really wonderful date made her want to extend her training time and practice throwing knives at him. 

Not the kind of mood you’re looking for before a make out session. 

Once, Percy had sneaked out of his room and gotten into Annabeth’s after her curfew. Maybe it was because she was sleepy or maybe she thought it was all a dream but she had agreed to watch a last minute, late night movie in the Royals’ commonroom (which was obviously closed and out of bounds). Percy being Percy wanted to sneak in instead of being a responsible royal and telling his guards so that they could have some privacy. 

Only problem was that Chris had spotted them and nearly cursed at Percy for being an irresponsible jerk.

He had called in Beckendorf who had brought with him a certain Silena and soon it was a mini gang meet inside the Royal commonroom. They all slept on mattresses on the floor with a dozen Bluetooth connections put together. (Leo's innovation.) (They could all hear the movie in their wireless earphones while it played on the wall via the projector.) Percy and Annabeth had pretended to look interested in the movie and slowly snuggled close together in one corner of the room. He had smirked at her and they’d resolved into silent kissing.

Annabeth still avoided frenching Percy so they hadn’t started sucking each other’s faces off but it was better than those chaste kisses in the hallways.

That is, for one hot minute.

After that, Malcom had complained of not being able to see the movie, glared at Percy and lied down between the two of them – and, that’s it, the date was no longer a date and sneaking out became useless.

It is not like they didn’t want to go on proper dates. Their schedule never let them. 

That was something Annabeth was starting to doubt too; considering Miss. Willow was the one coordinating Percy’s and Selected's timetable and setting Percy up with girls who were free when he was. Aphrodite, being a good partner, was letting Willow do all the paper work or computer work or well, any work, actually. Whatever time she spent for the Selection, she spent talking to all the girls and giving them free dating advice. (Anything from ‘gold is the new sexy' to 'tell me how he reacted!’)

Like Percy, Aphrodite also spent the least time with Annabeth because she claimed she already knew everything about her. Yes, Annabeth had started to feel mad at everyone and everything whose name didn’t start with P and end with R – Piper. 

So, she knew for sure that the universe had planned something against her when Piper came to her and said that she’d kissed Percy.

It happened on 25th June. Since the Report was on 23rd, it meant that everyone else thought Percy had kissed eight girls till now but actually, he’d kissed nine. Piper had told her that she was confused and apologised for confusing everyone. Annabeth didn’t really know what to say to that.

_Piper seemed to have a way with words._

Talking about the Report, like Apollo and Helios had promised, they’d started with questions on Annabeth but quickly diverted their attention to the other girls when Percy mentioned that he had kissed five more. Unfortunately for them, they were only able to find three out of five.

Jason waved his hands in front of her. “Um… hello? Earth to Annabeth.”

Someone opened Jason’s door which got both their attention.

It was Thalia.

Annabeth frowned; Thalia frowned harder.

_What was she doing here? In Jason’s room…?_

First, Piper kissed Percy and now Jason has given his room key to another Selected…? (yeah, yeah, ex-Selected)

_What was going on here? What did Annabeth miss out?_

Thalia looked between the two of them and cleared her throat. “Um… Bad timing?”

Annabeth understood why Thalia had frowned. Her being inside Jason’s room was definitely weird.

_Oh gosh, Thalia doesn’t think anything is going on between me and Jason, right?_

_Especially if she has something for him. She was the one who had his room keys after all…_

Jason shook his head and smiled at her. “I could use a hand or a brain with this one.” He pointed at Annabeth. “Did Percy do something stupid while I was away?”

Thalia shrugged. “I heard he’s been on dates. Nothing else.” She came forward and hugged Jason from one side. “What about you? Did you pass training or do I have to baby your broken heart?”

_When did these two get so close?_

Jason pushed her away. “I have more experience with this, you know? You’re the one who is new here!”

She laughed. “What about Annie? Got a chance to beat any Selected yet?”

Jason snorted. “She is about to. The tournament is tomorrow.” He looked teasingly at Annabeth. “This is your one golden opportunity. Don’t miss it.”

Annabeth couldn’t help but smile. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was looking forward to the same.

No matter how many smirks and full-of-themselves looks the Selected threw her way, she could see the uncertainty in their eyes during practice. They knew, Percy knew and everyone else knew that it would be a hard fight for the Sword Champion title and unfortunately for the Selected, Annabeth had the upper hand.

Someone knocked on the open door.

It was Luke.

“Hey.” Annabeth said, standing awkwardly next to Jason’s bed (which now had his bow and arrow, dumbbells, a sword, a spear and his gun.)

He nodded slightly to acknowledge her. While Annabeth had been ‘away’ from Percy most of the time, her new company became Thalia and Luke. They got along very well. If Annabeth wasn’t wrong, she saw Thalia blushing around Luke a few times. She wasn’t sure what she felt about it but it sure did confuse a lot of things.

Like why is Thalia so close to Jason now if she liked Luke…

Like why doesn’t Annabeth feel jealous over the fact that an ex-Selected could be crushing over her first crush…

_Ugh, feelings are confusing._

Someone else cleared their throat behind Luke and he stepped away. Percy came to everyone’s view.

Thalia beamed, “Tell me we’re gonna have another two to two sword fight again.”

Percy shook his head. “No.”

“Annabeth was just about to tell something that I will beat you up for.” He walked two steps towards him and hit him hard on his chest. Percy’s back hit the wall and he looked peeved. “That’s trailer.”

Percy did not even look at her. “Girls, stay out. I need to clear something with these two.”

Thalia looked unimpressed. “Will you let me stay or should I use my extended -”

Percy looked alarmed. “Fine. Stay.” He looked sharply at Annabeth.

_What is going on here?_

“She’ll stay too.” Jason said. “It is two against one bro. You’re outnumbered.”

Percy wasn’t pleased. “Fine. Fine. Luke is officially taking your post.” He told Jason. He turned to Luke and sneered. “Temporarily.” He turned to Jason again. “Mom can’t stay mad at you forever. She knows how good you are.”

Annabeth frowned. “Sally is demoting you?”

Percy sighed. “No. She isn’t. I’m not letting her.”

Jason tried to say something but he dismissed it and finally turned to Annabeth. “Can we talk?”

Annabeth got up and walked out of the door and Percy looked at her like: _What does this mean now?_

“What?” She said. “You coming?”

Percy shut his mouth and followed her. They walked to the archery arena without saying a word. Percy turned to his guards once they reached the door. “Stay outside. The door will be open. You’ll know if anything happens.”

The guards looked like they wanted to argue so she let Percy deal with them. Meanwhile, she got her quiver, few arrows, her favourite bow and opened three different target sets.

Annabeth was wearing a short golden dress which wasn’t the best idea for practice but at least she didn’t feel too self-conscious over Percy’s perfecto suits.

_How does he manage to look this good always?_

Percy laughed. “I don’t think you need any last-minute practice, Wise Girl.”

She didn’t reply.

“Okay.” He grabbed her arrow. “Let’s talk.” He flipped her around so she faced him and looked at her sharply.

Annabeth stepped on his toes and grabbed her arrow back. “I didn’t get any training with archery and I want to practice. BACK OFF.”

“Fine!” He stepped away in frustration.

She aimed her first arrow and shot it. It hit a 78 on 80. She grabbed another, ran to the next one and shot, without stopping in between, it hit a 60. For the last one, she did a front flip, grabbed two arrows mid air and shot them together. One of them hit a 20, the other hit a 50 and she grit her teeth in frustration.

_I’m out of practice._

Percy just gawked at her as he took out another set of archery equipment for himself. He removed his blazer and swung the quiver over his back before saying, “Wow.”

Annabeth grunted. “I’m out of practice.”

“Yeah, right. And I’m not the Prince.” He laughed shortly. “Beth, you’re doing incredible.”

The compliment made her want to smile and a few awkward seconds pass when she looked away. She doesn’t even tell him off for calling her Beth.

Percy walked up and stood in front of the first target. “Okay, there is no way I can beat that. How about-”

She looked amused. “You’re challenging me, Jackson? Why? Has your day been so good that you wanna feel stomped on?”

Percy gave her a straight face. “Haha. Let me finish.” He smirked. “You don’t know if you’ll win.”

Annabeth walked back to him. “Shoot.”

“Rules: We hit three arrows on three targets. I get a 30 second time window for every aim and you get only 15-”

She smiled, “Too easy.”

“-But… Total points don’t count. If you hit any arrow below mine in any one of the targets then I win. And, I go first. Deal?”

“Sure. What am I winning?” She asked.

“You’re not winning. I give you one chance to add and subtract rules. Now. If I win, we sit in a nice quiet place and talk. What rule do you wanna change?”

She couldn’t wait to kick Percy’s butt at this. “I’m changing the rule where I’m not winning. When I win, I’ll think of something I want.”

“Fine. If it is a draw, then we both get our price.”

Percy went on to shoot the first two arrow. It hit a 40. Annabeth had to admit, Percy trying to concentrate so hard for something looked cute. She had to try hard to maintain her stern expression and not smile.

He walked to the next position, aimed and shot an arrow that landed on a 20.

She found herself staring at the little things about him: parts of the SPQR ink that was visible if she concentrated long enough on his sleeves, small freckles on his face that she could stare at for a long time, his untamed hair, how he bit his upper lip in concentration-

_Is it getting hot in here?_

How long had it been since they last kissed?

She’d shouted at him three days ago. That means at least 72 hours missing and thinking about how good-

Because… Gods, he looks so-

_Right. Stop swooning over a troublemaker._

He shot the last arrow and it landed on a 30.

Annabeth smiled smugly. _This was an easy win._

Percy tagged at her quiver, took it off of her back and hung it over his. "I'll give it to you."

She aimed her first arrow and from the corner of her eye saw Percy staring at her.

Wait a minute- _Is he checking me out?_

“What are you doing?” He was looking at her bare legs. Annabeth suddenly felt a need to cover herself.

“Observing.” He smirked, looking back at her in the eye. Pe

She shook it off and shot the first arrow. He whistled, looking at her and Annabeth’s cheeks felt hot. She frowned.

“What? That was a bull’s eye.” He reasoned and smiled smugly.

Annabeth was sure he had whistled _before_ the arrow hit the target…

_What is this idiot doing?_

She walked over in front of the next target and brought her arrow next to the bow. She pulled on the string and – suddenly, two arms wrapped around her from the back. She jumped and let out a pathetic whine.

“Percy!” She tried to get out of his hold. “That’s cheating.”

“No, it’s not.” His breath fanned the little hairs next to her ear. 

Annabeth could feel her body temperature reacting to him. _Oh gods._

“Look”, he said and adjusted himself so his chin touched her left shoulder. “I’m not touching your hands. You can still aim and shoot.”

She struggled to look at him. “How am I supposed to-”

He hit her slightly on her stomach as if to playfully say: _deal with it._

She breathed out and tried hard to focus. As she brought the bow on level with the target and shot, all she could think about was how hot her neck felt and how her stomach churned in anticipation. The arrow hit between 30 and 20. That still counted only as a 20 but luckily, Percy’s arrow was lower than hers. 

Annabeth had almost lost. _How is that possible?_

She could feel him smirk on her skin but she just huffed and walked off. Percy had other plans though. As soon as she stood in front of the next target, he resumed his former position.

_Why is he being so annoying today?_

For a second, she thought of telling him off but that would be like admitting defeat. Besides, her body liked this a little too much for her reasoning to deny him.

 _Game on._ Annabeth wasn't planning to lose.

He changed his strategy and kept his chin on her right side this time. 

Have you ever got a full body massage? Look, when there is a single person massaging you, they may prefer to finish one leg then move on to the next. If the feeling is good, then somewhere between the slow movements, your other leg starts asking for attention. The thing is, when it finally does get the attention, it feels even better than the first one because you’ve been anticipating it.

That is how Annabeth felt. All this time, the right side of her face and neck had been silently, involuntarily asking Percy to touch it.

As if to test her limits, he started kissing her shoulders. 

_Great, why on Earth did I wear an off-shoulder dress today?_

She let out a breath. Her right side burst in goose bumps. 

_Why is it so hot in here?_

Just as she was about to shoot, he pressed his lips to her ear and said. “You should-”

Annabeth flinched in surprise. A weird tingling feeling spread through her sternum from the inside. “Don’t do that!”

Her arrow didn’t even touch the target. It went straight above it and probably hit a minus 30.

“Ha.” He detached himself from her. “Looks like I won then.”

“That-that’s not even...” Her cheeks felt hot.

Percy faced her and raised both his hands up in the air. “I just wanted to-”

Annabeth scowled at him in anger and pushed him harshly to the nearest wall to kiss him. Percy responded almost instantly. He put his hands around her hip and smiled through the kiss. 

To be honest, Annabeth didn’t like what Percy had wanted to 'try' during their rooftop dinner date. She wasn’t sure if she genuinely didn’t like the idea of tongue kissing or if it was because he’d tried it on her during that particular night (when she'd dressed up more like Drew than herself.) That’s why she had been rejecting him every time he initiated.

In theory, it was gross. In practice, it felt even more so.

That said, for reasons unbeknownst to her, she found herself craving _exactly_ that.

_Is this what Percy meant when he said I should follow my own pace?_

They were all feelings, of course. She didn’t consciously think any of these things. No, that would be impossible. Percy's lips were already keeping her busy enough.

Without actively knowing it, she opened her lips wider like an invite and gladly, Percy got the hint. He brought one hand up to hold her in place as he dove in to stroke her tongue with his. 

In a rush, her insides felt like they exploded. Her entire torso swam in a heated frenzy of emotions. There was joy, content, happiness and a lot more things she couldn’t quite place yet. 

Two months ago, if someone had told her that she would love making out with Percy then Annabeth would hit that person. (And blushed afterwards.)

But this... This was different.

His breath smelled like mint and Annabeth felt self-conscious. He didn't pull back so maybe that was a good sign? He wasn’t going slow. Not slow enough. Annabeth had no clue what Percy had done, but whatever it was made her squirm.

Too much. 

She was feeling too many things too fast.

She pulled away but he didn’t look disappointed or hurt. He chuckled and beamed at her. “That’s not what I meant when I said we should talk but great conversation.”

She laughed and playfully pushed him away without actually moving. “What did you want to talk then?”

He looked at her for a second, still smiling crazily. “Nothing, Wise Girl. Nothing important.”

Their euphoric bubble broke when someone entered the archery academy from the second entrance. 

It was Lady Reyna.

Immediately, Percy tensed and Annabeth stepped away from him. Reyna just stood there for a second before saying, “Oh... um... I should...” 

The guards came in at the same time.

_Oh Gods, have they been seeing everything here?_

Percy spoke. “It is okay. Stand down.” He turned to her. “Do you need to practice, Lady Reyna?”

“No. No, your highness.” She tightened her jaw and slammed the door on her way out. 

Percy sighed and sat atop the metal container that had all the arrows.

After the guards left, Annabeth sat next to Percy. “What was that?”

He looked like he was debating if he should say or not. “I turned her down.” 

Annabeth frowned. “Huh?”

Percy looked at her. “She made a move on me today and I didn’t...” 

“Right.” She sat next to him and put one hand over his. “Did you... um... not want to turn her down?”

Percy motioned for her to sit on his thighs. “Come here.”

Annabeth did. For a second, she thought of facing him and putting both her legs on his sides but it felt too intimate. Instead, she sat such that her entire body faced one wall. 

“To be honest, I don’t know. I just thought I'm moving too fast with the girls and...” He gestured around with his other hand. “I already feel like I've kissed too much and – I don’t know, Wise Girl.”

“Oh.” Annabeth said.

_He felt like he kissed too much?_

_Um..._

“What?” He turned to her. “No, I mean, I don’t mean that. I just mean that with Rachel, Calypso, Piper, Drew...” Annabeth raised her eyebrows. “Right. Yes. No information if you don’t ask. I just mean that – Look, I... I liked it, I promise.”

She hummed. Before she lost her confidence, she said, “Well... Can we do it again?”

Percy stared at her, laughed and then tried to control it. He looked, sounded and smelled amazing to Annabeth. “Yeah okay.”

“But.” Annabeth absentmindedly stroked his hair. “Slower?”

Percy looked at her seriously this time and nodded. “As slow as you want.”

When they kissed, she thought of what Percy had told her during that rooftop dinner: _Trust me, it feels way better when you get comfortable with it._

It really did.

.............................

On July 2nd, Rachel was watching the sword fighting tournament when her phone rang.

_Shit._

She wasn’t supposed to be having a phone. Thank gods Miss Willow wasn’t here.

Unfortunately, the King and the Queen of Ichor were right next to her. Not to mention Prince Tyson and Princess Estelle. For some reason, they didn’t mind. Sally even asked her why she didn’t take it. Just as Rachel was about to answer, Coach Hedge spoke through the mic. “Next. HYDRAS! COME ON UP.”

Coach Hedge was the weirdest teacher. He was hardly 5 foot tall. He walked around with a baseball bat. He shouted ‘kill’ which Rachel found was his equivalent to ‘attack’. And his logic… He convinced Chiron to keep the first round of competition among the respective teams. (R.I.P. team spirit.)

Why?

He reasoned that the girls wouldn’t think much about attacking their opponents so this would show their true vigor to win. Rachel didn’t understand how they were supposed to co-operate in the team games if they fight a day before it but hey, maybe that’s why it is so. True team spirit can only be seen if there were wounds to repair.

She watched as Annabeth, Amber, Maria and Piper walked over to the sword fighting ring.

Daedalus asked. “What is your safe word?”

“Water.” They all said together.

Coach grunted. “Ah, let’s get over this fast. Annabeth. Piper.”

The two friends looked at each other as if to say: _Suit up._

In no time, they put on their safety gear and went inside the ring. Piper spoke something to which Annabeth laughed. She swung her sword in a _come here_ motion. **(A/N: Remember, they’re not using real ones. They can hurt but not kill.)** Piper shrugged and they walked in circles, finally starting the match.

Tyson cheered for Annabeth and Estelle cheered for Piper.

Piper was still talking and Annabeth looked confused over something she said. She lowered her defence for a second and Piper lunged. Too bad, Annabeth dodged it and attacked her from the side. Rachel didn’t know who tricked whom here.

Estelle tugged at her dress. “Up. Up.”

Rachel smiled at her and lifted her to her thighs. Estelle tried to climb above Rachel’s shoulders, tripped and fell on Sally who caught her expertly.

Sally nodded. “Honey, can you hold her up?”

Estelle finally sat between Paul and Sally’s shoulders and saw the match. “PIPE!!” She shouted.

Tyson gasped. “ANNABETH! LOOK! TRAITOR!”

When Rachel looked back, she saw Annabeth hitting Piper with the base of her sword. Piper stumbled and Annabeth took the opportunity to capture her weapon. Piper fell to the ground and the match was over.

Next, Maria came into the circle and took Piper’s place. The fight hardly lasted for 20 seconds. As soon as they circled, Annabeth jabbed her sword towards Maria who tried to hit it away. Annabeth smirked, and twisted Maria’s sword around hers. She yanked it up and the angle made Maria drop the weapon.

After that, Annabeth took her time out. Piper went back in voluntarily. Maria and Piper fought. Piper tricked her into thinking that she was attacking from the right. She dropped down and swung one leg around. Maria fell.

Anyone watching could say that Maria was the weakest of the four and that the rest went easy on her. 

The Sword fighting championship worked like this: Every member of each team had to fight with every other member of their own team. Out of 20 girls, top 8 would qualify for pre-finals based on technique. They’ll fight randomly with two people each. Four of them will be chosen from here based on technique, posture and maximum wins.

The finals will have 4 candidates. Every candidate will fight against the rest three and the one with the most wins earns the champion title irrespective of technique. If in case their wins are equal then their wins from pre-finals would also be counted and tallied. If that too ends up same then they would need to play one more match to decide. There will be no third place or fourth place. No one except the Royals, Selected, trainers and few guards would watch the matches. It will NOT be publicized.

Now, if you take the Hydras; Annabeth vs Piper, Annabeth vs Maria, Piper vs Maria were over, meaning they were halfway through. They still had to do Piper vs Amber, Maria vs Amber and Annabeth vs Amber.

The Hydras seemed to be discussing something over the ring and Amber came forward. A few people cheered for her.

King Paul said, “I need to head back.” He turned to the Queen. “I’ll need you for the invitation meeting. After Percy comes back-”

Queen Sally nodded. He smiled at his wife, kissed her on her forehead and left. Rachel thought it was beautiful. Although the King had so much going on, he still managed to make time for his family and the Selection. It made her wish to be responsible too. She regretted bringing her phone.

The Queen must have noticed something because she chuckled.

The Selected let out an _oooh._ Rachel looked back at the ring to see Amber fighting with Annabeth.

_Wow, was she already done with Piper?_

While Annabeth against Piper was like two friends playing, Annabeth against Maria was just Annabeth holding back… Well, Annabeth against Amber was the real match.

Annabeth jammed Amber’s strike with her sword in defence. She tried to twist Amber’s sword but Amber was faster than Piper. She swung again and Annabeth did too. They clashed a few times till Annabeth took advantage of her momentum to kick Amber’s feet. She expertly rolled and got back up, swinging her sword behind her back and blocking Annabeth’s attack. They were at it for about a minute when Annabeth pushed Amber back roughly and immediately swung her sword at Amber’s feet.

Amber winced and fell down. Annabeth kicked Amber’s sword away and pointed her own at Amber’s chin. Amber scowled and pushed the sword away with her hand. Annabeth laughed, helped her up and pet her cheeks as if to say: _Oh, poor baby._ She looked amused.

On the other hand, Amber didn’t look too happy about losing.

Rachel understood her annoyance but she was very glad she had dropped out of the Sword fighting match.

Rachel definitely didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Annabeth’s sword.

Annabeth disliked her enough already. She didn’t wish to know just how much.

During their training, Annabeth either avoided Rachel or criticised her. They never talked like the other Selected. She didn’t give her tips like she did with the rest. She plainly ignored her sarcastic comments and jokes. And oh boy, if they ever talked about Percy, Annabeth looked at her with such rage that Rachel wondered how Percy and Annabeth were such good friends. He was a friendly goofy guy. She was closed off.

Amber scowled harder as Annabeth left and Maria came back inside for the final Hydras match.

Immediately, Amber pushed her sword too hard against Maria’s. Unlike Annabeth and Piper, she wasn’t showing her any mercy. She was showing technique. In a split second, she cut through her weak defences and swung straight at her chest. Maria winced.

“WHAT?” Amber said. “FIGHT!”

Rachel frowned. _Why is she so aggressive?_

She took her stand again and waited for Maria. Too soon, Maria lunged at Amber. Amber lost balance and fell to the ground. She scowled when Maria pointed the weapon at her and used her momentum to yank Maria’s weapon off and marched at her threateningly, as if angry. Maria looked down and said something that could have been ‘water’.

Immediately, Daedalus blew his whistle and the match stopped. The entire auditorium went silent. Maria looked afraid and Amber’s eyes were wide. She tried to touch Maria but she stepped away. Piper caught her and said something to her to which she nodded.

…………

Percy came over just in time for the finals.

Rachel beamed at him. “Took you long enough.”

Queen Sally asked. “Did the council confirm?”

“Yeah.” He looked pointedly at Rachel.

Rachel got a feeling like she wasn’t supposed to hear this. She looked between the two of them. “This has something to do with the Selection, doesn’t it?”

He sat next to her and put one hand on hers. “You’ll know soon enough.” He turned to the sword fighting ring. “So… What did I miss?”

Rachel had to admit her heart did a flip flop when Percy laced his fingers through hers.

“Lady Reyna is topping the charts.” Queen Sally said. Percy frowned and she explained further. “Lady Annabeth is second place.”

Rachel said. “She is neck to neck with Lady Zoe.”

“Wait.” Percy said. “What happened to team sports?”

The Queen looked at him disapprovingly. “Tomorrow. Seriously, do you even read whatever Chiron gives you?”

Rachel smiled. “Since when does he read?”

“Hey!” He protested.

They laughed.

“Where is Estelle? And Tyson?” He asked.

Sally pointed to where the Selected were sitting. “In good hands.”

Estelle was sitting on Annabeth’s lap and Tyson stood in front of her. Everyone around them were talking and sipping juices.

Percy laughed.

As if on cue, Annabeth looked their way. She was still smiling over whatever went on but when her eyes fell on Rachel, her smile faded.

_Rachel didn’t want to but she felt smug when Annabeth glared at her._

_Annabeth could glare all she wants, she could ignore Rachel all her life, she could be the ultimate tournament champion, she could be Percy’s best friend, and still, she wasn’t sitting here with him, holding his hand._

_She liked that thought too much._

Chiron announced on the mic. “Lady Annabeth, Lady Reyna, Lady Zoe and Lady Amber are your finalists. Congratulations. Everyone else, please step back from the ring. First, we’ll have Lady Reyna and Lady Zoe inside the ring. Standard time. Two rounds, if not defeated.”

…………….

Percy was walking back to his guards after all that drama from the tournament.

He usually wasn’t this sloppy. He forgot about visiting Sally and his promise to Estelle to spend the evening with her. He grinned throughout his meetings and laughed at the lamest, smallest jokes. At one point, Paul had called him out and asked him if he was high again. He glared at him and tried to explain he didn’t want to do it the first time either but maybe Paul didn’t believe him because he said it all way too cheerfully, exactly like someone on coke.

The previous day, him and Annabeth had gone through a few more rounds of archery, hand to hand combat and naturally, kissing. Percy had to give it to her, Annabeth was getting better at everything. She threw him around in combat till he used his safe word, did amazing flips and shots for archery and yeah… the last part too.

He also forgot about confirming the next eliminations list with the council (which his why he was late for the tournament). Of course, he didn’t have to submit it till after the tournament but he had already made up his mind.

He was 23 for god’s sake. He wasn’t supposed to feel all ticklish after all this time.

Especially when he is seeing others too.

Percy also never thought he would say this in his life; but he thought he was kissing too much.

Well, that isn’t exactly… whatever the case, he was avoiding it. Not because he didn’t like it, of course. (Come on, he is human.) It is just that every time he did, he couldn’t help but feel like he was betraying someone else.

Selection was weird like that.

It started with Rachel. (Many things seemed to start with Rachel these days.) After Annabeth had talked to him and left (yes, this is three weeks back), him and Rachel had made up and he had explained everything he remembered to her. She had been more understanding and had taken his word for it. They had held hands and ran away from the guards (much to their surprise), hidden in a room and kissed till she was satisfied.

Percy had thought about what Rachel had said about him not giving equal chances to everyone. So, he decided that he would spend lesser time with Annabeth and take everyone else on dates. That’s why he had told Miss. Willow to exclude Annabeth and make schedules for him. (He was never going to tell Annabeth this.) He didn’t make a move on anyone besides the dates but he didn’t deny anyone who made a move on him.

That is how he ended up kissing Drew, Zoe, Katie, Piper, Kayla and Valentina.

Unfortunately for him, the more time he spent away from Annabeth, the more she occupied his thoughts. To change that, he started talking to her in between his schedule. Annabeth being Annabeth had asked him about all his dates and he didn’t want to say too much. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Eventually though, he started telling her everything. She would talk about the training and how the other girls performed.

For some reason, she avoided getting too close with him. He didn’t like that but just like he had told Rachel, this was something she had to deal on her own. So, he didn’t ask. Their dynamics fell apart when she shouted at him for no reason one day. (With a lot of cursing too.) He went back to concentrating on his work.

The three days without talking to his best friend disturbed his routine and made him feel like something was missing in his life. That is why Percy let go of Luke and Jason and asked Annabeth to talk to him but gods, she looked like a million golden drachmas in that dress. He couldn’t help his ideas…

In between all this, Percy completely forgot to tell Annabeth something important.

He sighed.

He was fed up of one more thing. Drama.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated.

He saw the caller ID as Agent Yellow and immediately knew he wasn’t going to like whatever conversation was about to happen.

After Jason lost his post, Percy had tried his best not to fill it. The council had suggested to give it temporarily to the next in line and change back once Jason was back. Paul pushed the decision too and it was unavoidable after that.

Unfortunately, this ‘next’ qualified person was Luke.

Agent Yellow was supposed to be Jason but it was now Luke.

Percy pressed the phone to his ear. “What?” He snapped.

The line was really bad.

“Hello? Hey! Anyone?”

It felt like the person on the other side was running. Irritated, Percy cut the call.

Meanwhile, he had reached the back doors of the palace. He looked at the first guard he saw. “Where is Beckendorf and Mason?”

The guard said. “They’re waiting for you in the auditorium, your majesty.”

Percy frowned. He had just come back from the auditorium. No one was there. He shrugged and started walking. His phone buzzed off again when he reached the guard’s hallways. He remembered that he had forgot to get Jason’s gun back. He wasn’t supposed to have it when he was off duty.

“What do you want?” He snapped at the caller.

“Percy?” A voice said. “Where are you?”

Percy didn’t know how he knew but he knew it was Jason and not Luke.

“J? I’m walking to your room. Why?”

Jason cursed. “Just… stay where you are and just… be quiet. We’re on our way.”

“Who? Why?”

He saw the answer before Jason said it. 

“Red.” Said Jason.

About 50 feet ahead of him stood someone.

That someone was holding a gun.

…………...

**NOW THAT IS CALLED A CLIFFHANGER!**

**PHEW!**

**Oh, and guys. Welcome to my 'list of things'. With this chapter, it officially starts! Hurray!!**

NOTE: Tournament parts are **NOT** over. Next chapter will have a time skip to the past and we will cover everything we left out. You’ll understand what Percy meant when he said ‘drama’.

I wanted to show this scene first to add to the suspense of the story.

And... as I promised! HERE IS THE LIST!![ Percy's Selected List.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MSukfhiLX2H9j8A_8_mJn-aeKHhuCsU-/view?usp=sharing) (Click on the link to view.) (And before someone asks the question; unfortunately, it isn’t Percy’s handwriting. It is mine.)

 **Previous dresses:** (Click on the link to view.)

Annabeth’s dress for the [Selection Polls.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KtLIpSJNdvKXirRfVrTeczm4w7nKl4j3/view?usp=sharing)

Ridiculous dress for the [rooftop dinner date.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KumKgXwW0wgF6_vLDM9AEgqrJsU9NqFP/view?usp=sharing)

Annabeth’s dress to [Willow's tests.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KVSLNezAk4YioTEqGwtG1AKBuzl1Z_ie/view?usp=sharing)

Annabeth's first [Report dress.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KnO3NmRzrzym1fLKD3PpwtMNf9HVcPx9/view?usp=sharing)

............

**Tell me what you think of... well, everything!**

**If you have any thoughts, theories, doubts or if you're just bored then have fun leaving a comment. I love reading your comments guys. Best feeling ever! It makes my day and keeps me motivated to write.**

**Love you all!**

**Happy reading!**

**P.S. I hope I'm keeping you on your toes.**


	16. They looked like a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people!

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself."**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**_[Note the time skip. Back to July 2 nd, first day of tournament.]_ **

The first person Calypso saw when she stepped out of room number 12 was Prince Percy. He was standing next to the stairs.

She approached him. “Good morning, your highness.”

The Prince looked up from his iPad. “Lady Calypso. You’re up early.”

She hesitated. “Trying to walk my nerves off before the tournament.”

He mock narrowed his eyes. “Oh, you don’t have anything to worry about. Pretty good archery, by the way.” He smiled.

She blushed. “Uh... You've seen the reports then.”

“Umm Hmm, third is very good. I can’t see why you’re nervous.”

“I don’t think I’m ready.”

“That is okay. It has only been a month. People train years toge-"

She frowned. “But I don’t _have_ years. Many girls have picked it up so well.”

He sighed and put one hand on her shoulder. “Lady Calypso, the combined scores will matter more than one tournament. And, if it makes you feel better, I don’t think it is fair either... which is why combined score is more sensible.”

She nodded. She knew it in her heart that Percy won’t eliminate her just yet. That wasn’t bothering her. She was more troubled over which girl would out win the others.

In every match, sword fighting or not.

It was inevitable. You can’t put two girls against each other in _anything_ without making them wonder which one is better. That’s how girls are.

“So,” he said. “How is your swimming?”

“Huh?”

“Swimming is your first event right? Bummer I can’t attend.” His mouth up turned in a _I missed my chance_ way.

“Yes. I'm assuming you fit that part in.”

He grinned. “My leisure sport of choice. You could send me off to an off the world island for a week and I can hardly see time passing. I won’t worry much either.”

She laughed slightly. “That is because everybody else would worry for you.”

He opened his mouth and closed it. “That is true. Yeah.”

“I don’t hate swimming but spending my life in however big beautiful island isn’t my idea of a vacation.” She said.

“Fair enough. By the way, your idea regarding the invitations? The council finally agreed.”

“So will we-"

Someone walked towards them from Willow's desk and came to their view.

It was Lady Annabeth.

Instantly, Annabeth’s smile fell just enough for a girl to spot. She was standing next to her friend – Piper. They looked like they were making fun of something or talking strategies.

Prince Percy removed the hand that he had snaked around Calypso's shoulder.

He gave a straight smile. “Lady Piper. Lady Annabeth.”

It was awkward. Annabeth straightforwardly glared at Calypso, Piper kept looking between the two girls and the Prince looked at anything that wasn’t the girls.

Piper broke the silence. “So, uh, Annabeth. What do you say we walk in the gardens?”

Percy pressed his lips together. “I should get going girls.” He turned to Calypso. “See you later.”

Annabeth’s expression was funny. Calypso had to admit; although she liked the Prince's throne more than the Prince himself, she felt satisfied looking at Annabeth’s jealousy. She had every right to be jealous of course. Anyone looking at Calypso could tell how beautiful she was. No man could resist her for long.

That just increased Calypso’s satisfaction.

After the Prince left, Annabeth turned to her. “Let’s see how _nice_ you are in the tournament.” She hit Calypso’s shoulders when she walked past her.

Piper turned to her after Annabeth left. “She is just in a bad mood. Never mind. I'll see you around, yeah?”

Calypso gave her a smug smile.

..............

Calypso knew the competition wasn’t going to be easy. She also knew that Annabeth wasn’t particularly happy with what happened that morning. She knew she had irritated the Prince's ‘best friend’.

So, yes, she expected Annabeth to show off in the tournament.

What she didn’t expect was her to pull strings and stand right next to Calypso for the swimming race.

They had twenty girls in total so they split into two teams. Drakons and Centaurs went together first and Hydras and Chimeras went together after them. Everyone’s time would be recorded and the one with the shortest time gets the most points (technique, posture is also noted). The pool was 7 feet deep which made the competition fair. None of the girls could stand on its floor and have their head outside. Some girls like Drew still had some height advantage though.

Calypso was a Chimera. She stood in between Annabeth and Amber – both, by the looks of it, highly competitive. Annabeth stretched her fingers, arms and legs intimidatingly. The whistle blew.

The 10 girls all jumped in at once without hesitation. Calypso did her best to maintain her performance to her training level. She knew she couldn’t be the first but she could be the 4th or 5th. Thankfully, none of the royals were there yet so she didn’t feel too pressured.

Without worrying about anyone, Calypso plunged forward in the cold water. When she was about 15 feet from the target, cheers erupted.

_Someone must have finished the race._

In no time, she finished her part, climbed up the wall and sat on the wet floor. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily for a while. When she looked around, Annabeth draped her towel over her upper torso and glared at someone in the crowd.

Chiron announced. “Least time: 42 seconds. Most time: 180 seconds. Lady Billie did not finish the race. Order: Zoe, Amber, Calypso, Annabeth, Valentina...”

Calypso was surprised. _I was third? Wow._

_Wait, Annabeth was fourth? How?_

She changed her clothes in the locker rooms and went in to sit with the other Selected. (Privileged, whatever.) Drew Tanaka was talking to a few girls. They didn’t see her approaching.

Drew said. “Next, we apply little grease over her shoes. Wait and watch how she slips up when she tries to punch you.”

Billie asked. “What did you do this time?”

Drew smirked. “Nothing much. Just small holes in her swimsuit. Just enough for it to tear open and distract her.” She laughed coldly. “Think simple.”

Calypso had heard enough to understand. These girls were cheating. They were messing up with someone’s game.

She had to tell Chiron.

 _Then again_ , her mind said, _should I? None of my business, isn’t it?_

Calypso turned around to leave. Drew turned to her. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I'm just taking my seat. I never heard anything you said.”

Drew came face to face with Calypso. “Good because if you think of complaining, we'll tell everyone that it was your idea.”

Calypso glared at her. “I’m not as insecure as you.”

“Hmm.. whatever.”

Lavinia asked. “Who are we tricking anyway?”

Drew smirked more. “Wise Girl.” She mocked.

Calypso raised her eyebrows at that. _So that is why she came in 4 th._

“And" Billie said, “we don’t care who comes first. We just care that Annabeth doesn’t.”

Calypso thought about Annabeth’s overwhelming pride. She thought about how Annabeth made everyone insecure throughout the training. She thought about Annabeth’s face when she saw her with the Prince.

She knew it was wrong but she felt thrilled.

Calypso chuckled and put one arm over Drew. “Tell me more about this... plan.”

.............

Annabeth’s fatal flaw was excessive pride.

She was good at everything she had interest in. The entire tournament was her idea of showing off. No one could beat her in the overalls and she knew it.

So yes it was a hit to her pride when Zoe came in first for the very first event but she didn’t think too much of it. She knew Zoe had more swimming experience than her so she was expecting it.

What Annabeth wasn’t expecting was falling down in climbing walls, messing up hand to hand combat and losing terribly in upside down walking.

At first she thought it was just a bad day for her. However, when she fell down halfway through the running race and found her shoe sole loosely hanging, she was starting to think if she was being framed.

Her suspicions only increased every time a girl smirked at her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t say if they were just satisfied that she was losing for once or if they were plotting against her.

There was still one thing no one could beat her in.

They had the Sword fighting Championship in the evening. It was already 5 by the time the pre-finalists were announced. Annabeth was randomly assigned to fight with Lady Jade and Lady Katie.

 _Too bad for them,_ she thought.

Chiron announced the order of matches and she waited for her turn. She was wearing the sports dress that showed her belly. She wasn’t shy in it. No, she felt confident and intimidatingly so. She also kept stretching every once in a while to exert her dominance. Her eyes bore through every one of her opponents

_That is how you win a match even before it starts._

Although, she had to admit, she was slightly looking forward to Percy’s reaction to her. She usually puts on a loose t-shirt over it when inside the palace and it has been a while since she’s been in form.

_Not like he hasn’t seen me in lesser but that was before the Selection._

That said, she wasn’t looking at where the royals were sitting. The whole tournament happened in Camp Half Blood. They had constructed a ring for sword fighting. The Selected faced it from the east. The trainers from south and the Royals from north. They had to enter the ring from west.

To her right, where the royals sat, there was a black sheep in the crowd.

_Rachel._

Rachel Elizabeth Dare had conveniently assigned herself out of the Championship. Percy had given her a ‘relaxation’ after her injury and she was using that non existent Oh so unfortunate injury to her benefit. Over the past few weeks, Drew had pointed out to many of Rachel’s behavior to assert how cunning she was. Annabeth thought most of them were not worth the detailed analysis but this one even she couldn’t deny.

_Rachel was perfectly fine._

So yes, she using this time to *cough* unsuccessfully *cough* get close to the royals really irritated Annabeth. Thankfully Percy wasn’t there. They had the best unannounced date the day before. She wanted to savor the feeling.

Her name was called and she stepped in the ring with Katie on the other side. She readied her sword and stood in a classic posture – she bent one leg, stretched the other behind it and her hands intimidatingly clenched the sword in front. Katie didn’t look intimidated though.

She swung; their swords clashed. Katie used her momentum and threw Annabeth to the ground. Annabeth flipped in the air and stood back up. This time when they clashed, she faked falling down and got behind Katie. In a swing, she used her legs to meet Katie but Katie jumped, avoiding it. Annabeth got back up and they clashed again. Somewhere in between the match, Annabeth clutched Katie by her shoulder and judo flipped her down. She kept her legs over Katie’s torso and pointed the sword to her neck.

_One down, one more to go._

Lady Jade walked into the ring next. When the match started, Annabeth gave her a clear fake opening and took in an attack but as Jade’s sword touched her left hip, she jumped in and kept her sword to Jade's neck. Chiron blew a whistle and they got back into formation. This time, Annabeth fooled her by giving the same opening but she stood with her legs bent and far enough apart for a jump. As Jade swung her sword, she jumped next to her, hit the back of her sword to Jade’s hand and grabbed her sword.

Jade, still in shock, didn’t think of defending. She stood there stunned as Annabeth crossed swords next to Jade’s neck.

It was a clean win for Annabeth. She had defeated both her opponents under 50 seconds.

The crowd broke into applause. Certain people’s applause were more genuine than the rest. The other 6 girls standing next to the ring looked at Annabeth warily.

As Annabeth walked back to where the other Selected were seated, Estelle and Tyson ran to her.

Tyson said. “Wow! You were AMAZING!”

Annabeth laughed and took Estelle up in her arms. “Was I?”

“Ew...” Estelle said. “And sweaty.” She cringed.

Annabeth laughed more and hugged Estelle as she protested. They reached the chairs put up for the Selected. Piper beamed at her.

“I think you can debut as a stuntman.” She said.

Tyson frowned. “Stuntwoman, right?”

Annabeth passed Estelle over to Piper. “I think I should change before the rest of them finish.”

Piper nodded and started talking to Tyson. Annabeth walked over to the temporary rooms for the Selected and found Drew inside, typing away. She looked up when Annabeth opened the door. Drew only had a lace bra and black shorts on. It made Annabeth self conscious.

Drew definitely had typical model like figure- beautiful, fit, attractive. Her hips were thin without any stray fat. She had the starting of abs and smooth flawless skin. Her dark hair came down to her hips, all perfectly straight, poise and Lady like.

_The fact that she was texting someone made Annabeth uncomfortable and maybe little jealous._

Drew smirked at her and pointed to her phone. “Interesting reply.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. She quickly grabbed her second dress and went into a small room to change. She couldn’t help her thoughts.

_Was it Percy?_

She shook her head: _No, Percy doesn’t have a phone, remember?_

_It couldn’t be._

Once naked, Annabeth looked at the dress which would cover her hips more.

_So much for seeing Percy’s reaction._

She sighed and put on the dress. When she walked out, Drew was still sitting and texting in her almost half naked form. Annabeth huffed. “Would you at least cover yourself? The door isn’t locked, you know?”

Drew smiled sarcastically. “Why princess? Hard to take your eyes off, isn’t it?” Annabeth clenched her teeth. Drew got up and it pushed her dark hair back to reveal more perfect skin. “It should be. Not everyone has _this_.” Drew looked down to hint her chest. “Jealous?”

Annabeth decided to not waste her time more, grabbed few glucose drinks and walked out. When she reached back, Estelle came to her willingly.

“Do you know why Percy isn’t here yet?” She asked.

Annabeth glanced at the Royals to see that indeed, Percy wasn’t present.

_Was he skipping the whole thing?_

She looked at Estelle's pouting face. “Hey, your brother is busy yeah? What do you do when people are busy?” She sat down in the chair next to Piper and Tyson stood in front of her.

Tyson grinned. “Disturb them.”

Annabeth glared and hit him on the arm to which he gave an exaggerated hurt expression. The Selected glared at Annabeth.

Estelle thought about it. “We tell them to hurry so they’ll be free!”

Piper laughed. “No, we let them be so they’ll be free sooner!”

Annabeth frowned. “Sooner? Not a word Pipes.”

“Yeah, neither is Pipes!”

Tyson leaned closer to Annabeth. “Look at their reaction! Oh I love being a Prince!”

Annabeth glared at him again. “Tyson! This is Percy’s Selection.”

To Annabeth’s consternation, Tyson said, “Yeah yeah. You’re too old for me anyway. But hey, I have eyes.”

She looked at him like he just quoted Shakespeare. “You! My Gods, when did you – You know what, no, I'm gonna pretend I never heard that.”

Tyson shrugged and turned to Lady Valentina who looked at him skeptically. “As for my dear brother, he could be swimming, eating blue pancakes, torturing the council or just thinking about random stuff. He is weird like that.”

They all laughed.

Valentina said. “When you say swimming... I mean we all had a small competition...”

Tyson cringed. “Point taken. I hope he is not swimming.”

They all laughed again. Estelle shifted in Annabeth’s arm and out of habit she looked at where the royals were sitting.

Immediately, her senses spiked. He was laughing at something and she felt a weird current of happiness in her because he was looking like that. Naturally, that made her senses curious about what he was looking at.

Unfortunately, that something was Rachel.

He smiled, shifting his hands on the armrest and that is when she noticed.

_They were holding hands._

Now she knew.

She knew _exactly_ what jealousy felt like.

It flows like a hot poison through your chest. It bubbles up anger, resentment, hatred like you've never felt before. Failing feels sad, rejection feels hurting, ignorance makes you feel betrayed but jealousy, _real_ jealousy, makes you want to inflict all those feelings on someone.

_Nothing quite as dangerous and poisonous as it._

Again, nothing quite as motivating to slap someone’s face.

Lady Amber, Lady Reyna and Lady Zoe got up for the finals and Annabeth placed Estelle on Tyson’s lap. Tyson looked warily at her but she didn’t CARE.

She didn’t care about whatever the PRINCE'S BROTHER thought about her when THE PRINCE HIMSELF was way too too too busy to even notice that Annabeth was there in the crowd.

As Annabeth put her safety armour on, she saw Percy smiling at her while STILL holding Rachel’s hand. He mouthed something that could have been ‘go easy’. Annabeth rolled her eyes openly.

_Has he ever held hands with ME this long?_

And dam Rachel’s goddamn expression!

She looked so so so so smug with herself. Her expression didn’t waver one bit when Annabeth glared at her. If possible, she looked even more pleased.

Annabeth HATED it. She HATED how Rachel looked at her like she was no competition.

_Oh, I'll show you competition._

Chiron addressed them. “Your rules will be a little different for the finals. If you manage to hold down an opponent for at least 15 seconds in whatever way that does NOT include punches, then you’ll win the game. Anyone finding themselves in a compromised position can shout out their safe word or if not able to, can slap your opponent three times or raise your hand and the game will end without waiting for that 15 seconds. My advice, if you feel any pain then do it. Don’t wait for the timer. Clear?”

They all nodded.

She zoned out of the first few matches. Reyna and Zoe fought; Zoe won. Zoe and Amber fought; Amber won. Reyna and Amber fought; Reyna won. Reyna called out her time out.

Annabeth went in with Amber.

Annabeth didn’t particularly like her thoughts or her mind right then so although it told her to wait for Amber to attack, she went in for the first strike. Amber dodged it and used her chance to go around Annabeth and hit her in her blind spot. Unfortunately for her, Annabeth was too mad with herself, with the universe, with what else not to take in a LITERAL backstabbing attack like that.

As Amber swung her sword, Annabeth leaned forward, rolled and stood in another karate pose. Amber looked confused like she didn’t know how to proceed but Annabeth didn’t give her much time to think. She jumped as if attacking from above and when Amber moved her sword up to defend, she hit her on the ribs with her legs in a swing motion. Amber fell face down to Annabeth’s left. She tried to get up but Annabeth grabbed both her hands, sat on Amber’s back and pointed her sword to Amber’s neck from above.

Amber mumbled ‘water’ and Annabeth let go immediately.

As she walked out of the ring, Annabeth got the weirdest feeling like she wanted to press Amber further into her helpless position.

_There was no way anyone else heard the safe word. I could have just pretended that I didn’t either._

The thought scared her.

Next Zoe came in.

While the other girls fought, she had tried her best to count to whatever numbers, look at pretty things like the sky or the gardens but every minute that passed just increased her anger. Annabeth stepped in the ring and closed her eyes for a second trying to remind herself of what was going on.

But even her mind knew.

It was either anger or tears and Annabeth wasn’t going to be petty like that.

Zoe went in for a strike and Annabeth dodged it expertly. For some reason, it angered her more. She cried out a UGHHH, pushed Zoe back with her sword, forced her to kneel and glared heavily at her. Zoe looked shocked like she didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t something they were thought. Annabeth paused and looked away.

What she just did – her little show of dominance – was a cop-out. The game should be own through _physical_ strength. This was a kind of mental manipulation.

If technique was counted then Chiron had the right to call out Annabeth on a foul then and there. Fortunately for her, the finals were about who won and how much they won; not how they won.

Annabeth agreed with that. EVERY competition was about winning.

Even if it was something as small as Capture the Flag…

Or… something as life changing as a Selection.

No one remembers the ones who come in second.

Annabeth frowned and backed out. Zoe glared at her like: _What the-._ Annabeth bowed her head slightly and managed an obviously insincere _sorry._

They stepped back into their initial stand again and Annabeth waited for Zoe’s attack. They circled around each other a few times before Zoe ran towards Annabeth. Annabeth’s mind focused on defense to whatever attack Zoe planned. They were at it for a while. When Annabeth finally got an opening, she kicked Zoe’s arm. Zoe’s already tired arm from all that offense earlier let go of the sword. Annabeth reached behind Zoe’s back before she could reach for it again and tacked her torso down using her momentum. She held Zoe’s neck between her left arm and bicep, locked her legs with Zoe’s so she couldn’t move and then pointed the blunt face of her sword to Zoe’s neck.

Zoe hit her three times on her forearm and she let go. Lady Zoe walked away without saying anything and Annabeth leaned on the ring railings.

She had just won two matches. Everyone else won only one. Yet, since Reyna and Annabeth hadn’t fought, she wasn’t the title holder.

Not yet, anyway.

All the finalists must battle with every other finalist at least once. If Reyna wins this time, Annabeth and Reyna will be tied with two matches own each. Moreover, since they both defeated both their opponents in the pre-finals, they will be tied for the title.

If Reyna wins, they will have to fight again. If Annabeth wins, she would have a clear dominance with three wins in her hand.

Annabeth requested for a 10-minute break just in case. She had to admit, she felt breathless and slightly tired. Everyone but Coach Hedge accepted it. Annabeth sipped water kept next to the ring as she waited for Reyna to come up.

Her mind, being the fool it was, dared to look at Percy and the Selected.

_Oh well… one particular Selected._

What she saw made her blood boil.

Rachel was talking to Sally and Tyson. Tyson was sitting on his mother’s lap and he held some electronic device between him and Rachel. Tyson clicked on the screen, smirked and looked at Rachel expectantly. Rachel pouted.

_Wait a minute…_

_Were they playing a game?_

_In the MIDDLE OF A CHAMPIONSHIP?_

That wasn’t the worst part.

The worst part was Percy now had his arms around Rachel’s shoulders. He laughed and tried to make the move for her. Tyson pushed his hands away and said something.

Annabeth clenched her teeth and made a fist to force her anger away.

Truth be told though, what she felt wasn’t anger. It was a combination of jealousy and rejection.

_Looking at the four of them, they looked like…_

Annabeth’s tongue felt like sand just thinking about it…

_They looked like a family._

And this was Annabeth’s non-blood family she was talking about. It felt like Rachel had filled in right where Annabeth was this whole time. Only difference is, Annabeth never realised just how close they all were and Rachel… she came, she saw, she conquered.

Thankfully, she didn’t get enough time for all that fake anger to convert to tears. Reyna walked into the ring.

Annabeth could feel the atmosphere inside the ring change as she walked in. So far, whoever she fought were wary of her. They all had felt intimidated by Annabeth and they had already set in a mental block that they would or could lose.

Not Reyna though. 

Reyna walked in with such dominance that Annabeth felt like she met her real opponent for the first time since the Selected started sword-fighting. Annabeth scrutinized Reyna with the same glare she gave everyone but Reyna didn’t even bother to look up.

She tried to remember any of her previous matches with Lady Reyna but it was a complete blank. They had never fought. Annabeth frowned. She had previously thought that she had fought with every Selected beforehand. There was a huge disadvantage to a new opponent: If Reyna was as clever as she looked, then she would know all of Annabeth’s moves.

As if to confirm her worries, Reyna stood in a perfect mirror of Annabeth’s pre-sword fighting stand. She kept her left leg bent in front, right stretched back, left arm stretched forward and right arm raised in a curve to point her sword’s tip to her left hand.

_Did Reyna purposefully avoid me the whole time?_

Annabeth was so proud of herself that she hadn’t even bothered to see through Reyna’s moves beforehand.

_Fatal flaw, eh?_

When Reyna looked up at her, Annabeth saw vengeance. It mixed with other emotions like anger and dominance.

Annabeth’s opponent was no joke.

She was in it to win it.

Suddenly, Annabeth remembered what had happened the day before when Reyna caught her and Percy in between their kisses.

Percy had told her that he had rejected Reyna.

That is when Annabeth knew what Reyna felt exactly. It was pain, jealousy, anger and a kind of helplessness that gives way for revenge.

How did she know this?

Those were the exact emotions _she_ felt when she laid her eyes on Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

…………………

Percy knew for sure that Annabeth was doing the exact opposite of what he told her to do. If almost injuring two girls during pre-finals wasn’t indication enough, then restraining two more till they used their safe words in the finals was definitely a sign.

Annabeth was too harsh on the girls.

He thought it would irritate him when she rolled her eyes at him and openly disobeyed a fairly fair rule but truth be told… there was something about a girl fighting for you that was satisfying.

They were in the 10-minute break between (hopefully) the final match of the day. Percy was pretty sure Annabeth would win and take home three wins and a title (however insignificant.) Psst, she had fought guards and defeated them. The girls were no match for her.

Tyson took out his phone and turned back to Rachel. “What about checkers then? Come on. One game.”

Rachel sighed and nodded. Percy, not having anything else to do, leaned over to see the game. He put one arm around Rachel’s chair without touching her and crossed his legs. Rachel did an okay move but unfortunate for her, Tyson was a good player.

Tyson grinned as Rachel tried to touch a piece.

Percy wasn’t ready to give his brother the satisfaction. He softly moved Rachel’s hand and did another move.

Rachel shrugged. “That wasn’t bad.”

“Hey!” Said Tyson. “That is cheating. Only one person plays!”

Sally asked. “Where is your sister?”

Tyson pointed to where the Selected were sitting. “She didn’t want to leave. I couldn’t stay.” He looked at Percy. “Too much talk about you.” Tyson gagged.

Rachel laughed.

Percy hit him playfully and focused back to the game. “Hello? My Selection.” He hoped Rachel didn’t notice that he had shifted his hands to her shoulder.

Or well, he hoped she didn’t mind.

“You both are pretty competitive.” Rachel noticed, referring to the game.

Sally laughed. “True. I keep telling Percy he should compete with someone his own age.”

They all laughed. Percy took his chance to make the next move. Tyson glared at him. “Are you playing or not?” He asked Rachel.

Percy and Rachel looked at each other before replying, “we’re playing.”

Once the match started, they paused their game. Percy removed his hands from Rachel and placed it on his thighs. In front of them, Reyna walked into the ring and took her stand. Percy watched as Annabeth mirrored Reyna’s pose and stood her ground.

Rachel said. “Reyna is pretty fierce. I'm expecting a good match.”

Percy looked at her questioningly. “Annabeth has undergone the guards training twice. She has an advantage.”

“So does Reyna.” She said.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

Percy saw it before she said it. Reyna’s strategy was different. She attacked with force instead of waiting out the initial attack like the classes on Camp. Annabeth tried to dodge it and move randomly every time. Reyna swung her leg suddenly and Annabeth fell. Reyna slid forward using her momentum and used that opportunity to grab Annabeth’s sword.

Rachel turned to Percy, “And you were saying?”

“The match isn’t over yet.” He told her.

Annabeth crawled away from Reyna.

At this point, Percy was slightly concerned. _She wasn’t hurt, was she?_

_Of course, Wise Girl would be the kind of person to never give up a good fight just because she took in a few scratches._

They both got back up. Annabeth took a defensive stand and Reyna had both their swords crossed together. Annabeth went in for a punch to Reyna’s torso and Reyna defended but last at the last minute, Annabeth slid down between Reyna’s legs and dragged one of Reyna’s feet with her.

Reyna balanced on her right forehand instead of falling down completely but the momentum dragged one sword away from her. Annabeth quickly climbed on Reyna’s legs, pinned her down and grabbed the sword. The fight continued.

Percy smiled and turned to Rachel, “What were you saying?”

Rachel pointed at the ring. “That.”

Reyna had chosen to attack again and Annabeth stood her ground fiercely. She slashed, kicked and did anything you could imagine to stay clear of Reyna’s attacks. Once when they both clashed their swords (now opposite swords because Annabeth had grabbed Reyna’s instead of her own), they looked at each other in the eye as a challenge. Reyna kicked Annabeth’s leg just then. Annabeth doubled back and winced.

Percy realised that Reyna was breaking a conduct rule when it came to swordplay but then again, the finals was about winning, not technique.

Annabeth would be really bummed if she lost the game. She had told him that she had won every game with the Selected before.

Clearly, Reyna was trying to get Annabeth mad and mad Annabeth she got. Reyna swung as if she was going to attack Annabeth’s left side. Annabeth slashed her sword at Reyna instead of defending. Reyna, at the last minute, threw her sword from right hand to her left and attacked Annabeth on her defenceless right side.

While Annabeth was too busy stumbling back, Reyna jumped, flipped mid air and grabbed Annabeth’s neck between her legs. The momentum dragged them both down and Reyna didn’t waste a moment before kicking away Annabeth’s sword. She intertwined her legs around Annabeth and pinned her down with her weight.

Quickly, she tried to twist one of Annabeth’s hands, held the other down with one of her legs and pointed the sword’s tip to Annabeth’s eyes.

Annabeth struggled for the next fifteen seconds but Reyna won.

“Wow.” Rachel said. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Percy mock glared at her. “I thought you supported Reyna the whole time?”

“No, I mean, that move.”

Tyson frowned too. “In real battle it gets you hurt. If you had real swords then Annabeth would have the best shot at wounding her opponent. It is not very clever.”

Percy thought about it. “Annabeth probably didn’t expect it though which made it a pretty clever move.”

Tyson glared at him. “Take a side!!”

“I’m not supposed to! Not yet!”

Sally laughed.

Daedalus spoke in the mic. “Lady Reyna and Lady Annabeth are tied for the title which calls for a second match unless one of them backs off now.” The two girls glared at him. “That is what I thought. Next match in 15 minutes. Good luck.”

Reyna asked. “You think Annabeth could lose?”

Percy thought about it. “Not when she has fifteen minutes to plan strategy.”

_Annabeth couldn’t lose, right?_

Percy was surprised that there was a _chance_ Annabeth could lose. Annabeth and losing didn’t happen too often.

Tyson tapped Percy, “um... is she angry?”

He pointed to Annabeth who was walking up and down. She had a glucose drink in her hand. Percy chuckled.

Rachel said. “Anyone would be. Everyone thought she was unbeatable.”

Tyson frowned. “That is because you’re all new. A fair fight is making Annabeth and Jason fight.”

“Yes.” Percy said. “Because I’m better than her. She loses when she fights with me.”

Tyson said. "Ah, no she doesn’t.”

Sally clarified. “He means she kicks his butt till he says stop.”

Tyson laughed.

“Mom! I thought you’re supporting me!” He pouted. “Whatever, she threw me around enough yesterday. I think I got my weekly dose.”

Rachel frowned. Tyson asked. “You two were training?”

Percy gestured aimlessly. “Yeah... something like that.”

He gagged. “No. I don’t wanna know.”

“No.” Percy said, looking at Rachel. “I mean... we had a bet.”

Sally looked surprised, "And you won?"

Percy blushed in embarrassment. "That is not the point!"

..........

Annabeth was furious. She didn’t know why. Was it Rachel? Was it Reyna? Was it Percy?

Was it herself?

Whatever the reason, when Reyna and Annabeth walked into the ring again, she was determined to win. Annabeth slashed; Reyna dodged, she attacked; Reyna defended, she sliced, Reyna hit her sword down. They were at it for a good minute when Reyna finally switched to offense thinking Annabeth must be exhausted now.

She wasn’t.

Annabeth didn’t have enough data or time to interpret all of Reyna's moves but she caught enough to crack her basic strategy. Reyna fought first _willingly_. She gave her best shot at defeating Zoe and Amber. She gave herself a timeout and gained back some strength as she waited to attack Annabeth at her weakest point.

Annabeth was already tired from all the matches and doing three matches together is hard even for her. Besides, her mind was preoccupied and hooded with things outside the Championship.

So what if Reyna lost with Zoe?

That is because Zoe is actually an okay opponent. Annabeth had observed this fact around the third or fourth day on camp when Zoe successfully defended all of Annabeth’s attacks without a sweat.

So, Annabeth’s counter attack was simple: she would fall right into Reyna’s imagination, strike, play offense and pretend to be tired. She would attack sloppily.

Reyna caught the bait like a Percy to blue food.

Annabeth knew she’d get one, maybe two, good shots at this before Reyna realises her plan. When Reyna slashed for the first time, Annabeth defended weakly and stumbled back purposefully.

Reyna smirked.

She attacked again and Annabeth moved away. She hit Reyna’s sword arm using her sword’s base. Reyna winced. She didn’t stop though. They slashed once, twice, before Annabeth tricked Reyna with one of her openings. Reyna didn’t fall bait for it which was exactly what Annabeth expected her to do. Instead, Reyna attacked. Annabeth ran towards her opponent and brushed past her shoulders and hit Reyna on her back. Reyna stumbled and Annabeth kicked her knees. She feel on her stomach, Annabeth climbed on top of her, held her torso to the ground and put her entire weight on Reyna’s thighs.

Reyna struggled to get up but Annabeth held down one hand with her foot. As a final show of dominance, she forced Reyna to look up by twisting Reyna’s arm upwards, pointed her own sword to Reyna’s neck and sneered.

Reyna cried out in pain.

Chiron blew the whistle and the game ended.

Annabeth had won.

She had won the championship.

The crowd was flabbergasted. They were as silent as a priest in a meditation hall.

She got up and glared at everyone. The Selected looked at her either with fearful expressions or admiration, Annabeth couldn’t say which. Percy was frowning at her and Rachel looked like she had seen a ghost. Tyson's face was blank. Sally wasn’t there in the crowd anymore.

Annabeth wanted to lash out. She wanted to wail. She didn’t know what got into her but she shouted. “Jackson? You remember the _bet_ we had?”

Percy opened his mouth but Annabeth didn’t give him space. “My side of the price, I get to battle you in front of everyone here.” She raised her eyebrows.

Percy smirked like he was amused and it angered Annabeth. Everything about Percy angered her these days. It was like she was in a continuous rollercoaster ride with her emotions.

“Why?” She leaned forward and leaned on her sword. “Scared?”

........

Percy knew she could kick his butt but he didn’t care. He laughed, asked Chiron for a sword and stood in the ring.

For some insanely stupid reason, he was smiling.

Annabeth tried to attack but Percy just ran away. “Catch me if you can.” He laughed more, backed up, and tricked Annabeth with each of her moves.

Annabeth felt pissed off. She thought about Rachel, Reyna, Calypso and everyone else Percy spent his time with. She attacked.

She thought about their kisses and how it meant nothing more than what every other kiss meant to him. She attacked.

Drew and her perfect -. Attacked.

Rachel’s overconfident look. Attacked.

Calypso's smug smile. Attacked.

Percy. Attacked.

About every time she felt like crying over the last month. Attacked.

When Annabeth pushed him harshly away from her, Percy frowned, losing his carefree attitude. “Whoa, Wise Girl, we don’t wanna kill.”

Annabeth pushed his sword further down and Percy winced at the angle. He looked at the murderous look in Annabeth’s eyes.

Annabeth thought about that bar, the stripper, the idiot who forgot that he sent a 143 and attacked.

Percy defended strongly this time. His sword cut through the air to hit Annabeth’s knee. She defended it and Percy pulled her by her shoulders towards him. Her back crashed to his front. He mumbled angrily. “Annabeth, what is this?”

Annabeth punched him on the stomach with her elbow and freed herself. “Fighting. What does it look like?” She snapped.

She cried out an UGHH and their swords clashed harshly.

He scowled. “No, you’re not.”

“Well maybe you should get another eye then.” She sneered. “Or another brain.”

He tried to calm down. “Tell me what is going on.”

“Yeah?” She said. She felt like crying. “What will you do _then_?”

He gritted his teeth. “Annabeth....”

“Let me guess. Fool around with another Selected?”

His face hardened. “I'm not fooling around.” He caught Annabeth by her shoulders. “Not with anybody.”

Annabeth stilled. She felt something inside her wail like a broken cry. Her eyes watered. “You’re right, Jackson. You’re absolutely right.”

Annabeth put down her sword and left the ring. Percy stared at her, wide-eyed. He had no idea what he did wrong. She had left the place without looking back.

Finally, Percy turned to the Selected. “We call it a draw. Good game, everybody.”

..........

_Percy was walking back to his guards after all that drama from the tournament._

_His phone buzzed off again when he reached the guard’s hallways. He remembered that he had forgot to get Jason’s gun back. He wasn’t supposed to have it when he was off duty._

_“What do you want?” He snapped at the caller._

_“Percy?” A voice said. “Where are you?”_

_Percy didn’t know how he knew but he knew it was Jason and not Luke._

_“J? I’m walking to your room. Why?”_

_Jason cursed. “Just… stay where you are and just… be quiet. We’re on our way.”_

_“Who? Why?”_

_He saw the answer before Jason said it._

_“Red.” Said Jason._

_About 50 feet ahead of him stood someone._

_That someone was holding a gun._

The intruder shot. It brushed past Percy’s right shoulder. Either this guy was a terrible shooter or he had got lucky. Percy didn’t want to stay long enough to find out which. He ran into his nearest turning. The intruder chased him hastily.

_The one time I wish my guards were here..._

He took random turns and hoped to lose the intruder but he was too quick Oh his feet. Suddenly, someone pulled Percy into another hallway.

It was Jason. He had his shield and two sword.

Percy grabbed him and they ran. “Where is your gun? The one time you get to use it and this is what you prefer?”

Jason didn’t look pleased. “Yeah well next time, get attacked when I'm not in suspension. Or you know what? Next time don’t suspend ME instead of sacking the twins!” He passed one sword and the shield to Percy.

Percy grinned at him and Jason pushed him forward, falling back.

Jason cried out in pain.

 _Shit_.

Percy turned back to look at his bro clutching his shoulders. Percy looked back to see that they were still being followed. “We need to head to the tunnels. Oh for Gods sakes, why didn’t we keep w-"

Jason stood still. Percy turned back around to see another guy with a gun.

It was Luke.

Percy frowned and anger bubbled inside him. _Had Luke planned this all along?_

It explained a lot of things: How did the intruder know where Percy was, How they manage to catch him without his guards around, How the intruder had a gun...

Luke shot.

The bullet hit the intruder on his chest.

Luke looked angry. He turned to Jason, “How did YOU know he was here?” He turned to Percy. “AND YOU! Who told you to go ANYWHERE without one of us?”

Percy opened his mouth in shock.

Luke had just saved his life.

Saved their lives.

“Ugh forget it! We need to get you back to your room through the tunnels.” He told Percy and turned to Jason. “And you’re NOT coming until you tell me how you found Percy.”

Jason winced. “You forgot your phone in my room. I heard the warning from Beckendorf.”

Luke glared at Jason. Percy said. “You two work with your communication later. Get out of here.”

..............

Queen Sally had called Prince Percy to her room late that night. Percy knew what was coming: advice, concern, maybe bit of anger...

He stepped inside the room to see Jason, Luke, Leo, and the Queen.

Fortunately, Jason's wound wasn't deep so he got out of it with a few stitches and a minor procedure. Unfortunately, he couldn't finish his advanced shooting training with that arm. Or say, swing a sword for a while.

Sally looked red with anger. “Sit.” She said.

Percy put his head down and went forward to sit in front of his mother.

“Do you have _any_ idea how dangerously _close_ you were to getting SERIOUSLY hurt today?” She spat.

He looked away.

Jason dared to say, “It was not his fault.”

Sally challenged. “Yeah? Exactly like how it was a mistake YOU lost him in a BAR?”

Percy said. “Mom, we’ve been throu-"

“NO WE HAVEN’T!” She shouted. “Percy, how do you think ANYONE knew exactly WHERE you were? Not many people expect a Prince to visit guards wards by themselves! How is it that NO ONE, LITERALLY NO SINGLE GUARD was inside to help you?”

Percy was dumbfounded. He had been wondering the same things.

“BECAUSE!” She pointed to the door.

Percy looked back to find Annabeth standing next to the door.

_WHAT?_

“What- mom- what is she doing here?”

Sally picked up papers from her desk and pinned it to Percy’s chest. When he looked at his mother, her eyes flared with anger and something else he couldn’t understand.

She looked at the door and the guards pushed Annabeth in. Percy scowled at them. Annabeth had her head hung down. She stood next to Jason.

“What?” Sally asked Annabeth. “You thought I'd never find out? I'm the QUEEN!” She hit her table in rage. Annabeth flinched.

“Mom- Will you please just tell me-"

“And you!” She pointed at Percy. “You knew she had the phone! You should have told her to return it BACK the MINUTE you knew that!”

Percy’s eyes widened. _The incognito phone._

Annabeth had used his granny’s phone for 3 days to talk briefly or send messages to him. He knew his mother wouldn’t like that idea. He was specifically told by her to not tell anyone, including Annabeth. Jason had his own phone. Only he was cleared for it. Percy purposefully avoided telling Luke anything until the absolute last minute.

Sally spoke. “What is the only thing you always carry around?”

Percy wanted to make a joke and point to his Camp Half Blood necklace but he figured that wasn’t what his mother wanted to hear.

“Exactly!” She snapped. “Leo says it is possible to track your location through it.”

Percy glared at Leo.

He flinched. “What? It is the truth. Really difficult but not impossible.”

“Wait... I thought the technical department said that the phone itself is untraceable.” He said.

“Yes.” Said Leo. “But say I had access to one of the phones, password and everything. It is really hard and complicated but I could trace where the other phones are if you give me like a week.”

Percy shook his head. “How?”

“Well, ah, I need a good support base. A few testers. Almost create a mother board. Create invisible VPNs, connect it to a router and then there is the bandwidth problem-"

Percy scowled. “English.”

Leo sighed. “Blah blah blah. Create a hacking app. Blah blah blah. Get, say, your phone for about 20 minutes. Blah blah blah. Send a missed call from one phone to every number stored in it. Missed calls don’t appear on the phones by the way so you’ll never know. BIG Blah blah blah. Wait. BIG Blah blah blah. Match your everyday routine and find out who you can be.” He shrugged like it was nothing.

Sally stood in front of Annabeth. “I especially told Percy to NOT get one for you because your room is not protected enough. Lady or not, I don’t remember you being so irresponsible!”

Annabeth looked down.

Sally turned to Jason. “And you left him in a bar where they were having illegal weapons trade! If _any ONE of them_ had recognized Percy...” Her voice broke. “I'm making Luke Head Guard.” She turned to Percy. “Permanently.”

Annabeth looked up at the Queen. Percy wanted to tell her to just shut up but she spoke. “Sally, I'm _really_ sorr-"

The Queen turned to Lady Annabeth. “That what, Annabeth?! That something YOU did nearly got MY son a bullet through his body? If it was anyone, ANYONE, but you then I would have THROWN her out of the palace and the Selection this minute!”

Annabeth stilled.

Percy shouted. “MOM-"

“What?” She turned to Percy. “You know it is true!”

“SALLY.” Someone standing behind Percy said. “That is enough!”

Edward put one arm on Percy for balance. Being the eldest royal, he had the right to speak like that to the Queen. “I think we've all had long days, yes?” He spoke calmly. “Go back to your rooms.”

As soon as he said it, Annabeth rushed out and Percy thought he saw her bring her hands to her face. Edward looked at Percy. “Take Lady Annabeth to her room.”

“But..-"

Edward pushed him weakly. “Do it.”

He walked out immediately and just before he stepped out, he turned to Luke.

“Thank you,” Percy said and ran off.

He caught Annabeth in the third floor. He didn’t ask her to stop or wait. He just rushed in front of her and grabbed her by her shoulders. Annabeth looked down.

“Hey... Wise Girl.” He tried to make her look at him. “Forget it. It is not your fault.” He locked her head with both his hands and made her look up. Her eyes filled with tears.

“Look, it could have been me, alright? I was in that for Gods know how long. I had my phone with me. I took it to the trip.” She tried to look away but he followed her gaze. “Mom didn’t mean that and even - even if she did, I would never take you out of the Selection. Or the palace.”

Annabeth tried to push Percy’s hands down. “You don’t get it! The fact that I did something that could’ve -" She looked at him like he was holding a thousand gemstones.

“-could have happened with anyone.” He finished for her. “Don’t beat yourself up for this, Chase.”

She looked away and he frowned in concern. He sighed and brought her closer. She didn’t say anything. She just put wrapped her hands around him and looked far away.

Percy asked softly. “But Annabeth, what was that in the tournament? Tell me.”

Annabeth smiled sadly. “Don’t ask so I won’t lie.”

She pulled away and walked to the stairs.

His mind was torn between saying what he wanted to say and saying what he should say. He let her go.

They needed time.

Sure, Percy wanted her to talk.

But, he didn’t ask again.

Just like he didn’t ask anyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, you guessed it right, tournament and Sally lashing out on Annabeth + Percy getting attacked is the first in my list of events. (plus the stripper and Annabeth's phone getting hacked part)
> 
> Haha, already getting interesting isn't it?
> 
> Oh, and I added Calypso's POV! Yay!


	17. A Chase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LONG AWAITED CHAPTER.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

> **"It was like when you make a move in chess and just as you take your finger off the piece, you see the mistake you've made, and there's this panic because you don't know yet the scale of disaster you've left yourself open to."**

** -Kazuo Ishiguro**

** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **

Annabeth was distracted like never before in her life.

She didn’t want to think about what could have happened if Luke didn’t get there in time. She didn’t want to think about where the bullet could have pierced Percy had Jason not been in the way.

And knowing that _she_ was responsible for something like this...

Although she knew that Percy didn’t blame her, it was hard not to blame herself.

Annabeth couldn’t sleep the day before. She hardly got two hours of disturbed sleep – which, if you asked her, was a terrible idea. She was drained enough – both mentally and physically – from the tournament the day before. Annabeth was in no position to exert herself for the tournament or her team anymore.

The girls first had certain sit-on-spot challenges like logical reasoning games, balancing each member of the team and a bunch more stuff you’d see basic in P.T. or gymnastics-starters’ team exercises. Then, they had harder challenges like lifting heavy weights (together) (like the bark of a tree) and two races – one was the regular pass-the-stick rally race and the other was a more challenging version of it with elements like high jump, crawling under a net, walking over a inclined grease wall, etc. For the final challenge, they had to rescue and carry a member of their group who is tied up to a tree and defended by one opposite team while at the same time making sure that the opposite team don’t get to their teammate who is defended by them. Overall, it was as hard as day one.

By the time they were done with rally race one, Annabeth could visibly see her team falling apart. Lady Amber (who usually took control whenever Annabeth didn’t) was trying her best to not show any anger because of the incident that happened the day before with Lady Maria. Piper was a good friend but not an effective leader and don’t even get Annabeth started on Rachel.

_Annabeth didn’t need more troubling feelings right now._

The Hydras came third for the second rally race. They were planning strategy for the finals when Prince Percy decided to interrupt them.

Amber accused, “Well if Rachel didn’t screw up rally one, we didn’t have to worry but no, you just _had_ to risk the team.”

Piper, standing between the two, “Look, there is no point in trying to change the past. We should worry about the finals first and scores later. I think we should stick to Annabeth’s plan and defend our prisoner as much as possible.”

Maria frowned, “I thought we agreed on offense. What happened to our plans from last week?”

Piper sighed. “That was before Annabeth was lucky drawn as the prisoner!”

That was their problem. Annabeth and Amber were undoubtedly the strongest players of their team and everyone de-facto assumed Annabeth as their leader. A team was only as effective as its leader and Annabeth being lucky drawn as the opposite team’s prisoner did little to motivate the team.

Amber continued, “Yes, if we manage to defend her for long enough and wait for the timer to end, we can win. Also, we need a very good location for hiding and another false location to confuse the opposition.”

Suddenly, someone else spoke from behind Annabeth. “You can keep her next to the restricted gardens. Annabeth once lost when we kept our flag there. If Annabeth and Malcom together cannot find it, no one can.”

Annabeth turned around to come face to face with Percy and immediately felt guilty all over again.

The girls stood stunned. They weren’t expecting a out of the blue visit from the Prince. Piper recovered first.

“No, we need Annabeth. You can come take her later.”

Percy smiled at her. “Nope. Too late.”

Amber protested. “Hey! We need our strategist.”

“I’ll deposit her back in 10.”

He dragged Annabeth away from the group by her wrist. She looked back at her team but didn’t protest. They walked away from the crowds and everyone else till they reached the strawberry fields of the camp. Annabeth immediately noticed the guards who were stationed all over the place. They moved to different corners when Percy approached but didn’t take their eyes off of the couple.

Annabeth put her hands inside her shorts' pockets.

“How are you feeling?” He asked.

Annabeth didn’t answer.

“Right.” He said. “Well, I forgot to tell you something important in between all this...” He gestured around.

She looked at him questioningly.

“Nico’s coming. So... You won’t be having any _Report_ this week.”

“Oh.” Her mind was somewhere else entirely. _How is Percy even talking to her after what she did?_

“Okaaay. I was expecting a bigger response.”

“Why? It is not like he never visits.”

Percy stood in front of her. “No, Annabeth. He is visiting for the Olympics this year. This is like the pre pre-visit.”

“Oh _that_.” She said.

“Well...just... Break it to him slowly, okay?”

“Break what?”

“That you are in my Selection.”

Annabeth frowned. “Why? He probably already knows.”

He started walking again. “Yeah, I know but just... Explain to him slowly, okay? He is still a kid.”

She shook her head in confusion. “Explain what, Percy? What is there to explain?”

He looked at the ground. “I mean... You know what I mean... He has a crush on you.”

Annabeth stilled. “ _What_?” Her voice came out hoarse. She cleared her throat. “What?Wait.. what makes you think he...but...how? What?”

“Well, I don’t know if it is a crush or if he admires you or what...” He looked at her absolutely clueless expression. “Wait, you seriously didn’t know?”

“I-I didn’t-”

“He looks at you all weirdly when I’m around.” He looked at her again. “My Gods, you really didn’t know?”

She shook her head. “I still _don’t_ think he has a crush on me.”

“Really? Well what about the time when we first met him? He asked me if you were my girlfriend!”

“He asked _what_?”

“Okay. Fine. What about the time when we took that group photo and I tickled you and he looked at me like his pet fish died?” He tried. “Okay wait. What about that time after my coronation when Sally and I had a bet and I lost so I had to carry Nico like a baby? You laughed at us. Do you even remember his face?-”

Annabeth looked far away. This information should shock her but when he brought up Sally, it felt like salt in the wound all over again.

Growing up, Annabeth didn’t really have a family. Especially, not emotionally. Sally accepted her for who she was although she knew she shouldn’t let the Prince get close to just anyone just because they lived near or at the palace. Sally, in many ways, was the mother she always wished she had and even Sally knew this but still didn’t shy away. She cared more about Annabeth when she realised it. Annabeth still remembered Sally’s words clear as day – _Family is what you define. Everyone has one, dear. They may not always be who you want them to be but nevertheless, we are your family just as much as them._

It pained her more than anything in this world to know she’d let Sally down. Let _the_ _Queen_ down.

“—about that, huh?”

_Oh schist. Percy is still talking._

He stopped walking again. “You are not listening to me, are you?”

Annabeth looked at him like she was afraid of breaking glass. Percy decided it was about time he brought up the elephant in the room – eh, well – the garden.

He breathed out. “Okay, let’s sit down.” He gently guided her down by placing one hand on her bicep. They sat down on the grass next to each other.

“Look, what has happened, has happened. I’m fine. Jason is fine. Everyone is fine. We’re trying our best to find out the intruders and so far we’ve come as far to try to paint a picture of the guy.”

She nodded. “Was it the same person who attacked Rachel?”

“We’re not sure yet but we’ll know soon.”

She leaned her head on Percy’s shoulder. “Are you staying for the finals?”

“I can’t. Jason and I are meeting up with the detectives for finding out who our intruder is.”

“Didn’t you manage to get anything out of him?”

“No. He went into cardiac arrest last night.”

Annabeth stared at him.

Percy nodded. “Dead.”

They were silent for a second and she put her right hand on his knee. “Percy?” He hummed. She looked up at him; his eyes were closed. “I’m sorry.”

He looked back at her, laced his fingers through hers so that his palm touched the back of her hand and brought it to his chin. “It’s okay,” he said and kissed the inside of her palm.

Annabeth found the gesture friendly but in an intimate way. She reached up to kiss his cheek. “I just can’t imagine losing you.” She admitted.

Percy’s expression turned playful. “Looks like someone will miss me.” He cooed.

She hit his thigh playfully. “I mean... I do lov-” She stilled.

Someone from around them yelled. “PERCY?”

Percy immediately raised his hand. “I’m here! I'm here!” He got up. “Jeez, Frank. It is not like this place has secret underground tunnels I can fall into!”

Frank scratched his neck and left. Percy offered Annabeth a hand to get her up. “What were you saying?”

She got up and – _gosh does he know? Did he hear me?_

She gave him a nervous, exceedingly sweet smile. “I said 'I do _lo-lie._.. Lie at times but I do care.’”

He smiled genuinely. “Yeah, I know.”

When she walked back to the tournament, all the other feelings she had went out of the window – eh, well – the sky and she felt more awake than ever in her life. _Because Gods, DID I ALMOST BLURT OUT TO HIM THAT I LOVE HIM?_

The mere thought scared her. Shit though, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense to her... _heart_.

She realised that her heart was beating like she’d just run the races all over again.

She realised it in the middle of _the Selection_.

When he was seeing 19 others.

When he had kissed 8 others.

He probably had a date with someone that same day.

But, fuck, Annabeth Chase was in love with Percy Jackson.

............

Calypso, Valentina, Stella and Drew sat in a circle in the break after rally race two.

Val: “Woohoo, Chimeras on the lead.”

Drew scoffed. “Don’t get too excited. We still have time to catch up.”

Reyna came forward and sat next to Calypso. “What did you do with Annabeth this time?”

Calypso accused. “Since when does _she_ know?”

Reyna gave her a straight face. “Yeah explain how I won almost every individual game yesterday when my chart scores me 4th or 3rd every time.”

Val: “Today was brilliant. She looked so distracted. She wasn’t even here. Like she didn’t even care.”

Drew smiled and shrugged. “I didn’t do anything.”

Calypso: “Oh please. I think you went with the text plan.”

Reyna: “The text plan?”

Calypso: “Make it look like she is texting the Prince something... _you know_.”

Reyna: “That is stupid. She knows he doesn’t have a phone. He told me he never texts.”

Val: “Psst. The Princes are all the same. They say something, do something else. But see, she is his friend right? So, what if he did have a phone, she knows and he is not telling any of us.”

Drew smiled with satisfaction. “Then, she’ll think something is going on if she thinks he gave me his number.”

Reyna rolled her eyes: “And she’ll ask him and know it is not true.”

Calypso clicked her tongue: “Maybe she is an intelligent girl but she also gets jealous very easily. What do you think she’ll believe? What she sees or what he says?”

Reyna turned her lips down and nodded like: _makes sense._

Drew: “But you’re wrong. I already did the texting thing yesterday. I just have to leave it somewhere she can see it today. Lady Stella is saved as Prince Percy.”

Reyna scoffed. “Now that is completely stupid. If he does have a phone, she’ll know the number.”

Drew narrowed her eyes at Reyna. “ _I know_. She won’t get enough time to. One of us will be there when it happens.”

Calypso raised one hand. “I volunteered.”

Reyna looked at all of them like: _Gosh, you guys are serious_. “Fine", she said, “What did you do though?”

“Nothing.” Drew said. They didn’t look convinced. “Seriously. Look, Let’s take the Hydras. Amber is competitive and competitiveness doesn’t get you far when it is a team sport.”

Val nodded, “Maria is obviously useless. She would just slow them down.”

Drew nodded. “Annabeth is the Percy’s best friend and in love with him. Rachel is the girl he has a crush on. Do the math. Piper is the only mediator and even she can do only so much. Hydras were doomed -”

“Um...” Stella interrupted. “I think you’re gonna have to reconsider Annabeth buying your text theory.” She pointed at something behind Drew.

Drew turned back to look at Prince Percy and Annabeth walking away somewhere. “Great.” She said. “We need to add something else to those texts then.”

It was around 10 minutes later when they all talked and decided on one solid thing they thought would work. Drew saw Annabeth coming back from wherever she went with the Prince. She looked sad.

Reyna frowned. “She looks like she saw a ghost but... Also, sad.”

“So?” Drew said. “I want her to look like that all day. Best look ever.”

Calypso laughed at Drew’s cruelty.

Reyna didn’t look impressed. “You don’t see it, do you? What did she just do?”

“Get some alone time with his highness.” Calypso said. “Why do you look so happy about _that_?”

Reyna touched her arm. “Think about it. When was the last time you met the Prince and didn’t come out with a smile on your face?”

Stella gasped. “You don’t think she is getting eliminated, do you? Oh my gosh!”

Val frowned. “How is that possible? She may not be first but she still aced the tournament.”

“Who knows?” Drew said. “Why did Marcy Hills get eliminated when she did well in Miss. Willow’s class?” She looked around. “Exactly. Maybe she broke a rule or hurt someone or something.”

...........

The Hydras ranked third overall that day. As soon as Annabeth got any breathing time, her thoughts drifted to a certain Seaweed Brain. It felt unhealthy – just how much Percy occupied her mind.

She couldn’t help it. Every time she thought about how understanding, brave, fierce, powerful yet sweet, caring and supporting Percy was, it felt like a warm fire had ignited itself inside her.

So yes, it was as if someone poured ice-cold water on the fire when she read Drew and Percy’s texts.

What, you ask?

Well ...

When Annabeth walked back to the locker room to collect her belongings, unfortunately, she found Drew there. She was on her phone again but thankfully, this time, she was fully dressed. As soon as Annabeth came in, she locked her phone and stood next to the mirror. She started adjusting her already perfect hair.

“Must be hard, right, sister-in-law? _Third_.”

Annabeth ignored her.

“I don’t think you’re maintaining your rank. First. Now third. If it goes on, you’ll be rank 10 by the time Percy eliminates you. So pathetic.”

Annabeth grit her teeth. She reminded herself that violence between the Selected came under grounds of elimination.

“Well, do me a favour and _guard_ my stuff will you, peasant? See, if you are nice to me now, I’ll let you sidekick me until the Prince gets fed up of you and throws you out. Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll let you suck hi-”

_Yep. Annabeth wanted to punch the daylights out of this walking monster._

She clicked her tongue. “I see... You’re playing the moron who thinks like a slut.” She deadpanned. “Am I the good police or the bad police?”

Drew scoffed. “Whatever. I’ll be back in two minutes. My bag has all my makeup. If you mess with it, I’ll personally bury you into a hole.” She walked off to the attached bathroom.

Drew had left her phone on the counter next to her bag. Annabeth knew it was wrong but at the moment, she wasn’t thinking. She grabbed the phone.

It was pattern locked.

Randomly, she tried the most easy and common patterns and after a few tries, it opened. She immediately clicked on the chats and opened up the most recent one.

It read: _Hottie. (The Prince)_

She rolled her eyes. 

She scrolled up once. The first thing she saw was the picture. It was the same half naked Drew from yesterday.

(Italics one is Drew.)

_How about that?_

**You know that’s a no.**

**Maybe later.**

_Okay..(wink)_

_(Attached swimsuit picture.)_

_This?_

**Is your idea to hear NOs? It’s working.**

_(Insert exaggerated smile down emoji.)_

_.... I’ll surprise you._

**Just wear the thing you wear for camp.**

_Too boring._

**(Insert rolling eyes emoji.)**

**Fine.**

**Tomorrow. 2 O'Clock. Don’t be late.**

_I never come late... (Insert wink emoji)_

**(Insert rolling eyes emoji.)**

She scrolled up to try to see more (yes, there was MORE) but just then Drew came back. Drew snatched the phone away from Annabeth. “What do you think you're _doing_?” She yanked her phone out of Annabeth’s hand.

Annabeth gaped. She didn’t know what to say. Drew scoffed and left.

She didn’t really care about what Drew thought of her. Her mind was racing. _Since when does Percy chat?_ She knew it wasn’t his phone. That’s not possible. But.... Maybe it was Jason’s?

Jason did let Percy use his phone sometimes...

_Or maybe Drew is playing me?_

What did Percy mean by 'maybe later' to the first picture?

Annabeth maybe innocent in some ways but she wasn’t stupid. She thought about how to confirm if it was really Percy texting her and got one solid idea.

Maybe if Annabeth didn’t feel possessive after just finding out she loved the Prince; she would have had enough space in her mind to realise that it wasn’t Jason’s number in the first place. Maybe if Annabeth wasn’t sleep deprived, Selection driven and exhausted from all the drama yesterday, she would have figured out it said “July 3rd. 4:32” instead of saying “July 2nd. 11:16”. Maybe if Annabeth didn’t hate Drew as much as she did now, she would have realised that Drew’s hair was sweaty and messy in the picture instead of it being dry and beautiful like what she saw the day before.

But this was the Selection.

And, it clouded Annabeth’s logical reasoning.

It was probably wrong, petty and useless but hey, everything is fair in love and war, right?

She took her swimsuit out of her bag and walked over to the lockers that connected to the pool.

.........

The next day, Percy was free so he decided to arrange for three different dates – one each with Calypso, Drew and Annabeth. Annabeth was the first one – what do they say about starting your day in a happy mood?

After coronation, Percy had a lot of advantages. First was obviously his extravagant and huge room that had anything from paintings to X-boxes. He had his own personal gym, his own party hall, and a lot of other things he wished he had as a teenager.

Yes, he was spoiled.

In more ways than one. 

However, Hazel feared that he would burn down the whole palace should he ever decide to practise the dangerous art of cooking so she made sure the kitchen was converted into his personal storehouse of various drinks. Percy didn’t complain about it a year ago but now that he knew the Dos and Don’ts, he kind of wished he had something better than an electric stove to work with.

That is how he ended up requesting Annabeth’s maids – Julia and Crystal – to lend him their otherwise unused small kitchen to cook something and (hopefully) impress Annabeth. They were all over the moon when they heard his idea, of course.

Percy decided to send Annabeth a date notice through Willow just to give her that experience of a spontaneous date in the traditional manner like he did with the rest of the Selected. He had sent a note saying:

_Hey beautiful,_

_Put down your books or breakfast or whatever else_

_you_ _have in your hand and ask your maids to_

_tell you where I am. NOW. I’m waiting to_

_have my favourite meal with my favourite girl. (Wink.)_

Yes, Percy was way more forward in messages than face to face. Too bad he couldn’t chat. Nevertheless, he had bigger problems. He realised too late that his blue pancakes weren’t… well, let’s just say they didn’t do any justice to the blue part or the pancakes part.

_Maybe Hazel was right._

Percy heard the door open and close and panicked. He wasn’t anything close to ready or waiting. He had a dirty apron on, there was a clear dark bluish line across his cream coloured shirt from the blue food-colouring for his pancakes; his face, hands and shirt were sprent all over with flour, salt, sugar and baking powder all alike; one of his sleeves was burnt and tattered.

Plus, he probably smelled like the inside of an undercooked egg.

Annabeth called out his name and Percy hurriedly shoved his apron away. He had enough time to shake off some flour from his hair when Annabeth walked in on him. She stared at him, he stilled and she burst out laughing.

Percy blushed in embarrassment.

Annabeth was laughing like the Stolls high on nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Her eyes watered from all that euphoria and dopamine. She clutched her stomach as she tried extremely hard to calm down. Percy felt offended _. I did all this for her and now she is laughing at me!_ He grabbed the plates with the pancakes and rushed outside the kitchen to which Annabeth cried out a small ‘wait’ and stiffened her laughter.

Annabeth was wearing a [simple pink dress](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Et2ectUMqMvWShSPoAVcjO08K2zkTuE9/view?usp=drivesdk) that reached till her knee. When she came out of the kitchen, she found him pressing his hands to his cheek and pouting with a frown on his face. She pinched his cheek. “So cute.”

He huffed. She grabbed a chair and sat next to him on the round table. “Looks like someone was _waiting_.” She teased.

“Oh, forget it!” He said.

Annabeth laughed again. After a while, she stared at something in front of her.

“What?” Percy asked.

She lifted one of the blue pancakes and took a bite. He looked at her for some small approval.

“Um… Percy?” She asked. “Are they supposed to be… ah, crunchy?”

Percy blushed.

“And eh… spicy?” She stared at him like he was the next actor for the movie _Home Alone_ (i.e. kids’ comedy movies).

“I tried! Okay?!” He protested. “It is the thought that counts!”

“Are…” She laughed. One small tear of happiness left her right eye. She managed to hold her breath enough to say, “Are blue pancakes supposed to be… I-I don’t know, violet?” She burst out in laugher.

Percy found himself staring at her, which was stupid since he'd seen her a billion times. Still, she seemed so much more mature. It was kind of intimidating. Sure, she'd always been cute, but she was starting to be seriously beautiful.

He reached over and did the decent thing any guy should do if he ever finds his girl playfully but genuinely laughing at something he did: He kissed her.

In a swing, he pulled her up and cleared the space on the table before making her sit on it – without breaking the kiss. He spread her legs, got between them, cupped her cheeks with both hands and continued the kiss. Annabeth put her hands on his neck and stroked his hair.

He could practically feel the flour sprinkling from his head. He broke the kiss and laughed.

Annabeth stared at him. This close, he could basically see her cheeks turning red. It was adorable. Percy used his thumb to open her lip slightly and leaned in. Annabeth turned beet red at that and looked down.

_Why was Annabeth so shy all of a sudden? It is not like we haven’t done this before._

“Why? Why?” He chuckled and made her look back up. “What happened?” He talked to her with the same playful tone he uses with Estelle.

She shook her head. “It tickles.”

“It tickles?" Percy turned his head to one side. "All this time it didn’t tickle and suddenly it tickles?”

But she really _did_ look bashful.

She nodded and caressed his hair again. More flour dropped to his shirt. Percy broke a piece of the pancake, dipped it in whipped cream and ate it. “You know… It isn’t so bad.”

She hummed. He noticed that she was still shy.

_What changed in one day?_

Percy decided to lessen her timidity and did the one thing he knew would work. He put his hands inside her top and started tickling. Annabeth widened her eyes at him one second and the next she was pushing him away and laughing uncontrollably. He didn’t let her go of course. She stood back up and tired to move away but he just pulled her in and tickled more.

It definitely worked because after about 5 minutes, she was panting and accepting defeat and hitting him repeatedly on his arms. She tried to catch her breath for a while and Percy still had his hands next to her hips teasingly.

Annabeth laughed again and said, “You know...?” Percy hummed. “You smell more like a pancake than your blue pan-”

He started tickling her again. “I dare you to finish that sentence!”

After that, they ate his pancakes without further complain – both drenched in white powder now. Percy had a lot of explaining to do when Crystal and Julia came back to ask them about the date.

………

This was by far the most plain, least slutty, most decent swimsuit Drew had ever worn in her life. She looked at the mirror and back at herself and decided that she should go by the Prince's wishes at least as a sign of respect and submission.

She could handle submission, no biggie.

The [black one piece swimsuit](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ErEu_adFfRHh7lx7HYLhUxTO9nkFMuA0/view?usp=drivesdk) had a zipper on the front that ran upside down from below her neck till her upper abdomen. She zipped it such that her lower breasts and upper abdomen showed.

What are you thinking? How is this not slutty? Well, Drew is a model for those who don’t remember. She makes cover pages with lesser cloths than this.

_Who can blame me? I have a perfect body._

She applied her signature red lipstick and left her freshly washed long hair down so that it shifted every time she made a move. _Guys dig that._

She covered herself fully using a long-sleeved overcoat that ran down her nicely shaved legs. Drew was ready for a real date. She walked through the familiar corridors and reached the swimming pool.

The guards looked at her skeptically before she clarified that she was Drew and she had a date with Prince Percy.

_Uh, duh? Why else would Percy spend all this time in the pool?_

_It was obviously his creative way of showing himself off._ Although, he didn’t need to. Drew didn’t really care what he looked like below all those extravagant suits. Nope, she just cared about the luxury suits part.

Hell, she'd even let him have all the other girls secretly at the same time if he’d just let her be the Queen.

_Yes, I’m power hungry. Deal with it._

When Drew walked in, she found Percy leaning over one wall with both his arms over the floor. His head rested in between them. The rest of his body was under water. He was either tired or sleeping.

Also, he was shirtless.

Well, maybe it could Drew to start caring about what was inside those suits too...

Drew approached him. “Hey.” She cooed.

Percy looked up and glared at her. Drew assumed it was just playful. _Who in their right mind would glare at her seriously, anyway?_

She walked over to the steps and got inside the pool. Percy was leaning next to a wall and she slowly made her way towards him. He looked away and went back to sleeping on his arms.

“Something is wrong with my eyes.” She said.

He looked at her questioningly.

“... because I can’t take them off of you.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

_Ah, well, at least he is not in a bad mood._

Percy and Drew had fallen into a unsaid agreement over time. She would initiate conversation, say playful, flirty or suggestive things and he would dismiss it, roll his eyes at her or turn her down.

_Hey! He is in denial! You just wait._

Overtime, she also realised that the few times he was amused, it meant he was in a good mood. If he didn’t say anything, that was normal and if he started being rude then that day was either stressful or bad. Of course, she had offered to take care of his stress in... um... creative ways but he always ignored those.

“What did I tell you about wearing modest cloths?” He asked.

“Hey! This _is_ modest.” She complained. “Besides, it’s not like you didn’t expect it.”

He shrugged. “That’s true.”

“See? I’m not _boring_ like some girls.”

_Annabeth. I’m not boring like Annabeth._

“Come here.” He pinched her swimsuit from the tip right below her neck and zipped it so it covered her fully. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Drew wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Percy frowned at her for a second before realisation hit him and he gave his signature amused smile. She liked it.

“Okay, I fell into that one. One point.” He pointed at her.

This was another thing she had randomly suggested. She told him that every time he made a comment that could be turned around to mean something else, she would get a point and every time he expertly dodged one of her remarks, he would get a point. She had suggested it out of the blue but surprisingly, the Prince caught on to it and made it an entire game.

Drew asked. “Do you have something planned for today or..?”

“Give me a break.” He said. “I’m out of ideas. I like the water. It feels nice. I just wanna sleep on the floor.”

“Oh.” She suggested. “We could totally _sleep_ on the floor.”

He closed his eyes in amusement and groaned. “Okay. My fault again.”

She leaned over to find few plates on his other side. “Snacks?” She asked.

“Yep. Help yourself.”

She put one hand on his shoulder and maneuvered across him to reach the other side. He had french fries, chips, sauce and whipped cream. Like all of his other food fetishes, the chips were blue.

_Where does he get all this blue food from?_

Immediately, another thought struck her. She scooped up little whipped cream with her finger and looked at Percy as she brought it to her lips and sucked on it. She smirked when his eyes widened.

Percy coughed. “Okaeyy…” He said. He removed his arms from the floor and got into the water. “That was _definitely_ my fault.” He nodded and ran one hand over his hair.

Immediately, Drew noticed something else. She realised that his upper biceps were red. Curiosity got the better of her and she touched it to which Percy flinched. “Did you get hurt?”

He rubbed the spot. “Yeah. No big deal. I just scratched myself while running.”

Drew put her hands on his bicep to examine the wound again and this time Percy let her. She looked at him in concern. “Why would you need running?”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

She didn’t really _worry_ per se. She was just trying to be sweet. She leaned over to peck his lips but Percy moved away so she ended up kissing his chin.

Then, she thanked the universe for its timing.

Why?

Because someone decided to throw open the doors to the swimming pool and walk in right then.

That someone was princess perfect Annebelle. Oh, I’m sorry, she meant Lady Annabeth.

…who just saw her kissing the Prince when he was shirtless, in water, while she was wearing a swimsuit.

_Looks like my plan is working better than how I planned it._

Percy’s first emotion was irritation. This guy really didn’t like it when he was interrupted for no reason. However, his eyes widened when he saw who it was. Drew could practically hear the wheels turning in his mind as Annabeth stood stunned with the image in front of her.

He moved away from Drew and frowned at Annabeth but it was a frown of concern and not anger. “Hey, Wise Girl, what are you doing here?”

“Nothing.” Her expression closed off and she grit her teeth. “I think I forgot some of my stuff here and I came here to take it back.” She paced over to the locker rooms.

Percy didn’t bother looking back at Drew. In one swift movement, he grabbed on to the walls of the pool, got up all the way by just using his upper arm strength and ran over towards her. Drew watched as water dripped down from his arms, his chest, his stomach, his legs, everywhere. His swimming shorts were still very much blue and since it didn’t stick to his skin, it dropped down slightly on one side due to the momentum. She couldn’t help but stare. _Yep_ , she told herself, _definitely a hottie._

_I do want the throne but this is surely a welcome plus…_

It took them a moment to come back. She couldn’t hear anything from the locker room so that meant Annabeth wasn’t yelling – which was truly surprising. When Lady Annabeth _did_ come out though, she was clutching to her swimsuit and walking aggressively over to the doors again. As soon as Drew saw her, she waved like: _Hi, bitch_. _Are you enjoying yourself? I am._

To top it all, she had walked out of the pool herself, sat next to the snack plates and unzipped the suit so now it showed her cleavage _very_ clearly. Her expression was smug and she wordlessly tried to communicate: _I told you he likes what he sees._

Well, the Prince may or may not have indirectly scolded her and refused all her advances but it was only time, right? He would be coming back to all _this_ soon enough. Drew just wanted to show her a trailer.

Annabeth huffed. Drew knew Percy would be walking out anytime now so she went into the water again to cover herself up. Call her whatever but she was cunningly intelligent – a very helpful tool when it comes to something like a Selection.

Like she predicted, Percy came rushing out. “Annabeth, wait. This…” He closed his eyes like he didn’t know what to say. “Look, just hear me out.”

“Didn’t I tell you I didn’t wanna hear things I don’t ask for?” She snapped. “Enjoy your date.” Her eyes shot daggers at Lady Drew.

Drew smirked at her. Thankfully, Percy wasn’t facing her so he couldn’t tell. Drew watched them argue as she enjoyed herself; eating the French fries with sauce.

Percy tried to approach her and grab her by the arms.

“NO.” She shouted. “Don’t touch me, don’t follow me, just don’t do anything!”

Percy stood stunned and she dunked down to pick something up from the floor. She walked towards him, yanked his right hand towards her and forcefully placed the item on his hands. “And for gods’ sakes, Percy –” She didn’t sound angry anymore. She sounded defeated.

Drew loved that even more.

“– wear the shirt,” she said and marched off.

Percy looked at his shirt in her hands, back at Annabeth’s retreating figure and then at Drew who gave him the world’s most artificial _I-have-no-idea-what-happened_ face.

“So,” she said, trying to not smile. “You coming?”

Drew could only think of one thing as Annabeth slammed the door on the way out: _Mission success._

…….

Calypso was over the moon when Willow told her that Prince Percy asked her out for another official date. Then, she wondered why she was feeling so happy over someone she doesn’t want to like. She was a little bummed out that the date was shorter than any of her previous ones.

She wore a [long white polite dress](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F-1LCeyuLJ29tHEYdEALg1LftYHALxR7/view?usp=drivesdk) that reached all the way down to her ankle. 

So yes, that is how Percy ended up explaining to her about how him and his former personal guard Jason were attacked in royal grounds. They were sitting with their legs crossed, facing each other. Calypso’s face must have done something stupid because Percy laughed.

“It is not as bad as you think.” He looked at the horizon. “Everyone is fine. Now we just need to find out if there is any co-relation between this guy and the one who attacked Rachel.”

“You make it look like you weren’t at gun point less than 48 hours ago.” She remarked. “Are you alright?”

He nodded. “Little shaken up but okay… overall.” He took a bite out of his waffles. “What about you? What really happened after I left yesterday?”

Calypso didn’t want to give herself away. “When did you leave yesterday?”

He smirked. “Like you didn’t notice.”

She panicked for a second. Did Percy see her talking to Drew, Reyna and the others about Annabeth? Then she realised, _maybe he was just teasing me._

“Okay, fine. You know that the Drakons topped. Chimeras came second. Hydras third and Centaurs last. When Drakons and Hydras fought, Hydras kept their prisoner next to the restricted gardens. That was a seriously stupid move. Anyone who knows Reyna, knows that they practised there the most. It was almost a give-away. Hydras lost badly but defended really well and managed to find Lady Annabeth’s location. That’s the only reason why they didn’t come last.”

Percy looked guilty and Calypso didn’t know why.

“Then, when we Chimeras fought the Centaurs, we managed to trick them into thinking our prisoner was in their grounds and at the same time we rescued Lady Billie without much resistance. It was a clear win but Drakons bet us in the overall ranking.”

Percy grimaced. “I should have kept my mouth shut and let Annabeth plan strategies.”

“What?” Calypso asked. _Where did Annabeth come from?_

“Jackson!” Someone called out.

Calypso looked up to see a guard and someone else walking with him. Wait a minute – that was Rachel.

Percy got up. He looked at Calypso.

“I can…?” She frowned.

“Yeah, sure.” He offered her a hand and she got up. “Jason must’ve got the suspects.”

As she walked a few steps staring at the horizon, she suddenly tripped. Percy caught her by her shoulders right away. She found herself staring directly at the kingdom’s heartthrob.

It was in times like these when Calypso wondered if she truly liked the Prince. Sure, he was always sweet and funny but he was beginning to feel incredibly handsome and caring too. Calypso always knew she liked the Prince for his goofy side but she was starting to wonder if she was falling in love with him.

It was a beautiful feeling.

Percy looked concerned. “Did you hurt yourself?”

“No.” Her voice came out low. “No. I’m fine.”

By that time, Rachel and Jason had reached them. Rachel was openly smiling at Percy but Jason looked between Percy and Calypso apprehensively. Jason opened a file to show him the pictures. He passed another one to Rachel. Calypso leaned over to look at Percy’s. 

“No.” Rachel said. “That’s not the one.”

Jason looked at her. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. The guy who attacked me was bald.”

Percy sighed. “Well, that’s pretty hard not to miss.”

Calypso looked at the rest of them. “What if they’re family?” She suggested.

Percy looked deep in thoughts.

Rachel hummed. “It’s worth a shot but we don’t have the blood samples of the previous guy.”

Percy spoke. “True we don’t…”

Jason finished his sentence. “-but we do have the second one’s family records.” He looked at Rachel. “I’ll get you the faces first thing tomorrow morning.”

She nodded.

“Percy?” Jason asked. “What are you thinking?”

“The tattoo.” He said. “Does it remind you of anything?”

Jason sighed. “Half of all the gangs have eyes or skeletons, it’s too vague.”

“No.” Percy said. “The star with the heart. I can’t get it off my mind.”

Rachel didn’t look convinced. “Star and a heart? Sounds like a teenage mistake.”

Jason paled. Percy and Jason shared a look.

Percy turned to Calypso. “I’ll make it up to you.” He looked back at Jason. “Use protocol 7. Meet me back in my room after dinner.”

…………

Percy walked back to his room with a lot of old records in hand. Jason wasn’t back yet. He opened the room to find the Stoll brothers sitting on the edge of his bed.

_What?_

“Hey rommie!” Said Connor. He had a remote in his hand and was watching the TV.

“What?” Percy asked.

“We’re your new roomies!” Travis said. “Gods, how long have I wanted to live in this room…”

“And steal the Prince’s stuff.” Connor said.

“Huh? Guys?”

“The Queen wanted to have eyes on you all the time for your safety.” Connor pointed to the screen. “Do you like this one or the one behind her?”

“Na,” Travis said. “This is more Percy’s type.”

Percy was confused again. When he turned around, he stopped himself from taking a double take. They were seeing Victoria Secret’s live catwalk. The girl on the screen had blond hair and blue eyes.

He blushed.

“What are you- Annabeth’s not the only girl I’m seeing you know?” He said.

Jason came in just then. He carried an entire box of files inside.

“What do you say, Superman?” Travis asked. “Is she Percy’s type?”

Jason frowned and looked at the screen. He laughed. “That’s practically me you guys.”

“Exactly,” Connor said, “so you’ll know.”

Jason shook his head but smiled in amusement.

Percy asked, “What is going on here? And why are the Stolls in my room?”

“Sally wanted you to have extra security.” Jason said as a matter-of-fact. “They are part of the extra security.”

Percy groaned. “So what? You’re gonna… watch me while I sleep?”

“Better than watching you while you bleed.” Connor said.

Travis’s eyes light up. “All your windows could be broken but you’ll be standing on your feet.”

They shared a look. Connor said, “You won’t understand man. They’re-”

“References?” Percy asked.

They grinned. “See! You’re catching up so fast! We’ll be great roommates.”

Jason looked at Percy warily. Percy knew this look. This was his _you’re-gonna-hate-everything-I-say-now_ look. Jason walked over to the large table which was usually pushed to one corner of the room. He dragged the thing forward.

“You’re not gonna like this.” He deadpanned.

“I figured.” Percy brought out the file that showed the second intruder’s picture. “The star and wings have something unique in it. Do you see the pattern on the wings?”

Jason nodded.

Travis and Connor walked over. Travis said, “That is the Machivists gang. Drug dealers, right?”

“Yes but they always tattoo their thighs. This pattern isn’t them either.”

Connor frowned. “No. It’s the Revolters.”

Percy paled. Revolters were a gang full of people against the throne. That could explain a lot of things but these guys were deadly. They had piles of guns, bombs and could attack on command. They didn’t care about -

Someone knocked on Percy’s door and it brought him out of his thoughts. He Jason went to open it.

It was King Paul.

The Stolls hurriedly looked for the remote to turn off the T.V. Percy mentally face palmed. _Paul definitely saw what was being played._

Jason looked at Percy. “I thought he might want to hear this.”

The King looked at the gang. “Stolls, please stay outside.”

They shared a look before deciding to obey.

King Paul walked over to the two. “I heard the underground team for the illegal weapons deal has lost contact.”

Percy: “It was a two-week mission. They probably got stuck up with something

Jason looked grim. “I don’t know, man. Even Silena didn’t get any messages for the last week. She is really worried.”

Percy: “You know that if we get involved now, we could put all their lives in danger.”

Jason: “You’re right. Let’s deal with one problem at a time. Okay, look Percy, I-I found what I found and I had to tell someone besides you-”

Percy frowned at his bro.

“-because this involves _people_.”

“Jason please explain everything first.” Paul said.

He took out the box and reached in to pick up photos. “They call themselves the Platinums. This was from before my time here. You would’ve been a kid when it happened. The Platinums recruit…” He trailed off.

Paul nodded at him.

“The Platinums recruit _kids_ , Percy. They recruit kids.” Jason’s eyes were wide in fear.

Percy cursed. He felt sick.

“They believe that true loyalty is brought out by teaching kids instead of recruiting the skilled. Whatever the kids become in the future – doctor, journalist, publisher or anything; he or she carries with them the teachings of the Platinums. The kids are usually orphans. They join because they don’t see another option for themselves. Platinums are the same as the Revolters; they want to get rid of the throne but they’re more diverse and less of fighters.”

Percy let out a breath at that.

“Don’t underestimate them though. Their skills are wide ranged. They could prepare a small injection themselves and give it to you. No pharmaceuticals needed. No records whatsoever.”

Paul stopped him. “We stopped the Platinums long ago. We had de-brainwashing camps for the kids. It was one of those things we really concentrated on. Also, they’re a really small gang. A hundred people maybe. I don’t see how this is rising up again. We buried the whole story.”

Jason grimaced. “The Platinums had rituals where every teenager must bring a younger kid before they could become a full member. I checked the records. We took take of the members and the leaders but we couldn’t track all the new recruits. They must have formed their own gang.”

Percy thought about it. “It still doesn’t explain how they knew where I was.”

“They must have spies inside the palace.” Jason stated. “It could be _anyone_. There is no way we could find out every single one of them.”

The temperature inside the room dropped by 50 degrees.

Jason continued. “That’s not all, Percy. There is something else…”

_What could be worser than this?_

Jason took out a small book. “Names of every one who dared to register with the gang. You need to see this.”

He opened a previously marked page. If Percy didn’t know before, he would have thought it was the vocabulary book of someone trying to learn English. Jason pointed to one name in the list. It read: _A Chase._

_A Chase. Annabeth Chase._

_NO. NO._

_This is not possible._

“WHAT?” He said immediately. He looked at the King in disbelief. “You’re not actually buying this, are you?”

Jason sighed and pointed to a photo. It looked like it was from a CCTV footage. It was of a girl with medium blond hair walking away from Miss. Willow’s desk. “How do you explain this then? Leo debugged the phones and managed to find out when it could’ve been stolen. He confirmed that it was Annabeth’s and not yours. That’s a picture from the same time but when I talked to Annabeth, she told me she was in the archery arena then.”

_No alibi then._

_She couldn’t show her strength in archery publicly._

Percy shook his head. He was angry. “You seriously think Annabeth has something to do with this? Jason! Think! Don’t you think she would have hurt me by now if she wanted to?”

_He thought about how broken she looked when Sally scolded her._

_This couldn’t be._

“Jason. YOU are not buying it. I can tell!” He argued.

Jason looked conflicted. “I admit. It makes no sense.”

Paul put one hand on his shoulder. “Then we have a bigger problem.”

They all locked eyes and spoke together. “Someone is framing Annabeth.”

“This is bad.” Percy said.

Jason looked at the photo. “And it is probably a Selected.”

Percy rubbed his eyes. “Jason, how did you even think of looking at this? I mean… this was a _long_ shot.”

“I know you never judged me for my past but I did grow up in an orphanage.” Paul looked at him in surprise. “I lost some people to the same gang.”

Percy nodded and turned to find that the T.V. was in mute the whole time and he realised that the program was already over. It now showed the news of a bomb blast from somewhere.

He turned up the volume for more bad news.

The bomb blast had happened in Huston province – the place where the underground team had gone missing.

Percy’s blood ran cold.

…..

_WOOHOO That was an emotional rollercoaster for me! How was it for you?_

_Sorry guys, I promise that I’ve been trying my best to write more but I just couldn’t on Sep 4 th. I had just finished my exams on Sep 3rd and there is this whole issue of my grandma being covid 19 positive that took a toll on me._

_I’m really sorry for the late update._

_That said, PLEASE PLEASE leave a comment so I know who all are here although I had to take a break! I haven’t heard from you all in AGES!_

_I hope you liked the story. Don’t worry, there is always light ahead of all the darkness. Keep faith in me!_

_P.S: I apologize for any errors in the chapter. I've literally JUST finished writing it and I'm uploading it NOW because I'm already late._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ALL!


	18. Room of Parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Percabeth make up?  
> What happened in the Huston province?  
> Is anyone in danger?

Apparently there was some confusion with what Drew meant by mission success in the last chapter so lemme clear that up:

Drew's plan was to leave her phone out when she saw Annabeth. She knew Annabeth was at least a little curious about the texts. In reality, the other person who had "texted" in the name of Percy wad just another Selected. Just like how Drew planned, Annie got jealous and tried to find out if the texts were true by pretending to have forgot her swimsuit in the lockers.

 **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~** ~~

**"Love is a curious mixture of opposites, a blend of extreme selfishness and total devotion. A paradox! Besides which, love, everybody is always talking about love, love, but love isn't something you choose, you catch it like a disease; you get trapped in it, like a disaster."**

**Amos Oz**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

_Percy was angry. "You seriously think Annabeth has something to do with this? Jason! Think! Don't you think she would have hurt me by now if she wanted to? Jason. YOU are not buying it. I can tell!" He argued._

_Jason looked conflicted. "I admit. It makes no sense."_

_Paul put one hand on his shoulder. "Then we have a bigger problem."_

_They all locked eyes and spoke together. "Someone is framing Annabeth."_

_...._

_Percy nodded and turned to find that the T.V. was in mute the whole time and he realised that the program was already over. It now showed the news of a bomb blast from somewhere._

_He turned up the volume for more bad news._

_The bomb blast had happened in Huston province - the place where the underground team had gone missing._

_Percy's blood ran cold....._

  
IMMEDIATELY after that, the king, Percy and Jason abruptly halted the meeting.

"Huston province is what the RIS is working on right?" Paul asked.

Jason expression read panic. He zoomed out of the room and slammed the door as he left. Paul looked at him in surprise.

Percy mirrored Jason's expression. "Paul, I think you're gonna have to handle my meetings tomorrow." He took a few steps to the door.

"But the Platinums, we should make a strategy-", the King looked offended at this point.

"Yeah, uh, work on that too." He opened the door. "I'm sorry, this really is an emergency."

In no time, he met Jason back in the control room. Jason was yelling at Leo to which Leo responded hurriedly while tapping away at the master keyboard.

"-No, Jason, it is not possible-"

"WE'RE THE HIGHEST DEPARTMENT, JUST HACK INTO IT!" Jason ran a hand aggressively over his head and his expression was one full of worry.

Percy pushed him by his shoulder. "Dude calm down."

"I sent him. If anything happens to- what am I gonna tell S-"

The one sitting on the seat next to Leo spoke, "Look, we're not sure if anything is worth worrying about. So shut up and let Leo do his work." He was typing away as fast as Leo.

Percy didn't recognize this new guy. He frowned at him.

"Oh, hello your majesty, I'm Harley. The vice-"

"He is my intern." Leo finished.

Harley huffed, "Yeah right, I started working here way before you!"

Percy and Jason shared a look. "How much do you know about this mission?"

"Not much. Jason just told us that some of our men were into finding these villains - did you say Platinums? No originality. They should've gone with-"

"I don't care", Percy said. "Get out."

"WHAT?" Leo rushed. "He's my right hand!-"

"-no I am not-"

"You guys wanna try typing over hundred lines of spotless code?" Leo growled. "That's what I thought. Both of you sit there and wait till we're done. You're disturbing us."

It was a longer wait than expected. After 20 minutes, when Jason looked more calm, Percy decided to bring up the one thing that has been eating away at him for a while.

"Hey, this probably isn't a good time but-"

Jason scowled. "Gods, I hate you. What now?"

He looked down. "I've been thinking about the Selec-"

"Geez, not this again."

Percy pouted. A few minutes of awkward silence passed.

"Fine, tell me."

"Question: How do I feel less of a jerk when I'm genuinely dating more than 5 people at once?"

Jason looked away. "Seriously?" He looked straight back at Percy, "you don't."

"I was expecting a 'it is what selection is' answer..?" Percy tried.

"No, it is how you've let it be." He said harshly.

Percy decided to go back to his thoughts. To say the truth, this was the first thing Percy was worried about - the guilt of being with many girls at once.

_Lol, no, wait, I'm not guilty of that..._

It was more of a fear that he would create some bad blood for life and hurt the girls he actually grew to care about now- like Rachel, Calypso, Annabeth, Reyna, Piper...

His initial plan was very simple. Keep the girls in separate portions of your thoughts. That is, when you're with one person, you only think of that person and how she makes you feel and how the relationship feels and don't care about anyone else at that point. It did go well untill they reached the two month point.

By now, he knew he was more interested in pursuing certain relationships more than the rest simply because they got along better. The problem was, he wasn't able to compare them because he had lived with this strict philosophy of not comparing since the start. The more he got close to the girls, the lesser he refused small physical contact like holding hands or smiling or even kissing...

And the more he did this, the more he saw the others get hurt.

_Why can I not date these people one after another and figure it out??_

Ugh.

The question was simple: he had to give a fair chance to everyone so he had to choose between not opening up with anyone or opening up with all.

He had chosen opening up with all.

But now it felt like his feelings were all over the place.

Did he like Annabeth - who has been with him through his worst, seen it and accepted it - more?

Or was it Rachel - who had this aura of mystery, beauty and friendliness?

Or was it Calypso - the most royal like, calm, composed, in love with nature and absolutely freaking gorgeous?

Maybe was it Drew? The flirty, confident, open, sarcastic, maybe slightly rude (but he didn't mind)

Or was it Reyna? Piper? Valentina? Zoe? Katie?....

_He just didn't know!_

And... It felt like everyone was hating on him. Jason and the guys keep telling him to get his head straight. Malcom is barely holding himself together from breaking his face. The Selected too! They either get jealous or possessive or angry or distant and Percy hated it. It was starting to happen more often.

_Wow, looks like I'm stuck halfway in between the Selection. I can't go back and start different but going like this isn't going great._

Should he even care?

But he did! His guilt was eating him out!

Jason sighed. "So what did Annabeth say this time?" Percy frowned. "Well you always go into these deep thoughts about the Selection when Annabeth shouts at you."

"I wish that happened."

"What?"

"I wish she'd just shout at me and hit me a few times and we could call it even."

Jason frowned this time.

Percy closed his eyes. "I feel like we're falling apart to be honest. The last time Annabeth was upset, she did start shouting but it went into this 'I'm done with this' state. She didn't even explain about the tournament thing. Then there is my mom who is now telling me that she regrets shouting at Annabeth like that." He sighed. "It's not just Annabeth though."

Jason lifted an eyebrow. "It's not Annabeth?"

"Well, Calypso definitely didn't look pleased when I accidentally brought Annabeth up."

Jason snickered at that. "That went well for you didn't it?" He shook his head.

Percy glared at him. "Also, Rachel kinda asked me yesterday if we could meet up today. When she saw Calypso..." He looked uncertain. "I don't know... and she is not even Annabeth, she rarely brings anyone else up."

"Wait, let me get this straight. The fact that Lady Calypso and Lady Rachel aren't fine makes you feel...?"

"Bad? Like a jerk? Concerned? I don't know."

"Okay, we have a problem. Prince Percy, you do realise that the Selection is about the Prince and not the Selected? You cannot think about everything that is wrong with the idea of Selection after getting so far into it. They know what they're up against. Your job-" Jason pointed at him. " - is to find out which woman out there is most willing and capable to handle your mess and the kingdom's mess for the next 50 years. Don't stress yourself with their feelings. Concentrate on your own, even if it makes you a jerk."

He faked a smile. "Yeah, you're right." Percy hit him on his thighs. "That was deep. We should've been drinking."

Jason smiled sadly. "You know what Percy? How about you take some rest. Looks like we're gonna know the whole situation only tomorrow."

Jason hesitated. "Just remember: Annabeth has not been proven innocent."

"Huh?"

"The Platinums. I'm sorry. I get it. It doesn't make sence but protocol says Annabeth is suspect number 1."

"So?"

"So I don't want you alone with her without one of us."

Percy sighed but nodded.

The conversation wasn't very alien. They had talked about Percy's feelings before. That is why, they will never figure out what made them so careless. Why you ask? Well, Harley overheard it all.

.......

Piper had never had a boyfriend before. Everytime she told someone this, they'd assume that she is lying. Apparently she looked too beautiful to not have a boyfriend.

She never felt like that.

Piper, to Piper, was the most useless person she knew. While each one of the Selected had hidden talents they slowly started to show - Rachel had painting, Calypso was nature, Reyna was a warrior, Zoe was the best at archery and Annabeth... Annabeth was a one woman walking army.

Piper had nothing except she knew how to perform some basic first aid and stitches.

"Aw. Aw. Jeez. Did you really apply the numbing cream or-" Jason asked in pain.

"I'm cleaning your shoulder with rubbing alcohol. It is gonna sting." She pointed out.

Jason had stepped in the mini first aid room next to the common hall in the morning of July 5th for redoing his wound dressing. Coincidentally, Lady Piper was there at the same time to get some tablets for a headache. She had watched him struggle with the dressing for exactly 2 minutes before deciding to help the poor soul.

She throughly cleaned the bullet wound. She was so into it that she didn't notice that Jason had actually become very silent.

"Lady Piper."

"Hmm.."

"Your eyes... what color are they?"

She sighed. "It is a pigment disorder." She wrapped the thin cloth across his shoulder.

"Oh." He looked clueless.

She chuckled. "Don't worry. It is genetic. Isn't contagious."

"Na, I didn't think it was."

She looked up at him and noticed for the first time how close he was. Jason was seated on a high raise mechanical chair while Piper stood next to the counter with the medicine bottles and the bandages. He must have been observing her the whole time. That explained why he wasn't looking away like how he was when she put an injection on him to make sure that the wound doesn't get infected.

The closeness made her blush.

"Why is that?" She asked.

"Because they're beautiful." He replied without skipping a beat.

That made Piper skip a beat though.

 _Gods help me_.

Why were they still staring at each other?

Why is he not looking away?

This close, Piper could practically trace his face inch by inch. His blond hair fell on his forehead with no real pattern, his eyes were bright blue pearls, smile uneven but face completely genuine, arms thick and strong like that -

Suddenly the door swung open.

Immediately, as if repelled by same poles of two magnets, they stepped away. Jason cleared his throat.

A very confused guard stood on the other side of it. "Um... Leo says it is the info is almost... um... you might wanna get Prince Percy...?" He frowned at the general direction of Lady Piper and seemed to indirectly ask a question to Jason.

Jason put both is hands in the air and dragged the guard in. He looked really awkward. "Connor! Have you met Connor?" He asked Piper.

Piper blinked. Jason turned to Connor. "Connor, have you met Lady Piper?"

The guard blinked. "Were-were you busy? Did I interru-"

"What? Pfft, nooo. Lady Piper was just helping with my stitches here... it's all done now."

She didn't mean to but she sounded disappointed. "Yep. It is. "

The guard looked at her. "Right..."

_Gods, why is it so awkward?_

"FYI Jason?" He hit Jason on the back and smirked. "I'm Travis."

......

On July 5th, Annabeth woke up early. The first thing that came to her mind was her fight with Percy the day before and now that she thought about it, it felt pretty stupid. Her plan worked out of course - she left her swimsuit in the lockers, pretended to get it while in fact wanting to confirm if it really was Percy texting Drew. She knew that if what he'd texted - _Tomorrow 2'O Clock. Don't be late -_ was a real date, then it was probably him texting.

She walked out of her room in a plain brown dress with her hair in a ponytail. Breakfast wouldn't start for another hour at least but she wanted to roam around and clear her mind.

Sigh. _Okay now I found out that it was Percy. Does that make me feel any better?_

_No, it makes me feel pathetic. I should have done anything in the first place._

_And now I have to apologize to Percy which I don't wanna do._

Sigh.

She left the Selected's area and went to the east wing hoping that no one would be present. To her surprise, she saw Lady Katie and Lady Piper.

"We have news", Katie started.

Piper went on. "Apparently Miss. Willow convinced Percy to let us all have a Privileged-only meet. We're to assemble in 4th floor ..."

"- it says 'Room of requirement 3'. What is that?" Katie pointed out the paper she was holding.

"That's where they have drinking parties or games. Why?" Annabeth pointed out.

"Ah makes sence, we are gonna play drinking games mostly."

Miss Willow wants them to play drinking games..?

This isn't gonna go well, is it?

"Anyway, be there." Katie told. "By the way, I'm sorry."

Piper looked over from the other side. "For what?"

"For not believing you. For believing Drew." She said. "The whole time, I mean."

"You should be sorry." Annabeth pointed out.

Piper nudged her. Katie chuckled. "I deserved that."

"What changed your mind?" Piper asked.

"Just some stuff at the tournament. Drew told me you and Rachel were cheats because you always had the Prince wrapped around your fingers but... something made me realise Drew was the real cheat."

Annabeth noticed how she said "you and Rachel". She didn't like that thought.

Piper challenged her. "And what if we were cheats?"

Katie shrugged. "Drew's still the more pathetic one. She keeps getting jealous over every little thing you do with the Prince. She doesn't show it of course but it's obvious."

Annabeth knew how she herself was often jealous of everyone too. She didn't like this comment either. "I thought you were friends with Rachel?" She pointed out.

"I am. Rachel is a nice girl. She could definitely get close to anyone. One of those characters, you know? No wonder the Prince likes her."

Annabeth definitely didn't like that comment.

"Look, I'm just saying I'm sorry if I treated you badly before. I didn't know you and I shouldn't have but... honestly, I don't think you should judge Rachel without knowing her side of the story too."

By now, Annabeth wanted to throw her out. Instead, she gave her best I-don't-care smile. They turned a corner...

.... And came face to face with Prince Percy.

All four of them stopped. Percy asked. "Hey... ah..." He looked awkwardly at the three of them.

Piper recovered first. "We were just walking. My room's here. I'll... um... see you later?"

Percy half frowned; half nodded.

She walked behind him and gave Katie an obvious _they need privacy_ face.

_How did she just know? I didn't even tell her anything._

After Katie left, Percy was more awkward than before. He managed an awkward laugh. "Ah, how... how are you?"

_Really?_

"You..." Her anger bubbled up inside. "I catch you half naked with a girl and you say _how are you_?"

His expression immediately changed. He frowned. "Look, I just wanted to swim. I wanted to finish a date so I did. It has nothing to-"

"Do with the fact that you were flirting with her?"

His expression turned into confusion. "What? Wait, even if I- how do you-"

Anger radiated out of her like perfume. "I saw the texts, Jackson. You can't fool me with this one."

"What?" He looked genuinely lost. "What texts?"

"The swim-"

"No. Annabeth. Wait." He said. "There were no texts."

_Seriously? Is this guy serious right now?_

"You think I'll-?" She was angry.

Percy gripped her by her shoulders. "THERE. WERE. NO. TEXTS. You can believe me because the last time I had a phone with me, it nearly killed me. I'm NOT gonna use one untill Leo reprograms the whole system into something safer."

She couldn't think of a reply to that.

"You must've misunderstood, Wise Girl." He reasoned. "But, I will check it up with-"

" _Drew_ _?_ " She scoffed. "The _one_ girl we all know wants the throne?"

That effectively shut him up. He raised an eyebrow. "I see." He moved away. "And, you thought I didn't know this, right?" He looked angry.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Well you are a real Seaweed Brain sometimes but I thought you had enough time and resources to see that she is just a slu-"

"Shut up." He said harshly.

She folded her hands together in front of her. "What?"

"You and I both know whatever you were gonna say wasn't something a Selected is allowed to say." His voice was cold and harsh, like a warning.

"Fine." She said. His expression went back to normal just for a second. "But that kind of a date is really uncalled for."

And, the anger was back on his face. He mirrored her position. "Who decides my dates?"

"Huh?"

"Answer the question." He said. "Actually, don't. I do and I can decide to do whatever I want to. You know that. Piper knows that. Drew knows that and even my little sister knows that." He raised an eyebrow at her.

She opened her mouth and closed it. She hated it when he was this right about something.

"Okay look, Annabeth. I'm just gonna say it." He said. He brought his hands to his chin and rubbed his thumb over his jaw. "You need to grow up." He pointed out.

That got her attention. "Percy, I'm not-"

"Jealous?" He sighed. "Are we even going to deny this?"

She gritted her teeth and looked away. He stepped closer to her and made her look up. She huffed; he kissed her nose.

"You're cute when you're jealous like right now but not when you're closed off like yesterday."

Annabeth looked up to see a smirking Percy. She pushed him away; he laughed. "Get lost."

"I'm tryna help." He pointed out.

"Well," she scoffed, "why don't you go _help_ Drew?" Annabeth realised her mistake too late.

He gave her a knowing look. "You're looking at it all wrong." He said. "One morning you're having fun, we're laughing and it's all great. Then, suddenly, you're shouting at me for something I'm supposed to do. This-" He pointed in between them. "This is not going to work-"

She stared at him. Unintentionally, he was squeezing her heart with that one statement.

"-if that keeps happening. I was going to let you girls deal with your stuff but clearly, you haven't. And, that is because you're seeing _The Selection_ as one big thing instead of many small things."

"What do you mean?"

Percy hesitated. She put her hands over his wrists. "Tell me," she insisted.

He looked away and bit his lip. "Okay I wasn't going to tell this... But..."

"Say it."

"Simple. You create folders in your mind..." He stepped away. "When you're with me or seeing me, you only open my folder and you don't bring drama from anywhere into it. When you're with the Selected, you deal with them. When you're with the gang, you have fun. You get the idea, right?"

" _That_ is your masterplan to deal with the Selection?"

"Do you have a better plan which doesn't make me feel like I'm betraying 19 others when I'm on a date with one?"

_Good point._

"So you're not serious about any of us?" Her heart felt heavy at the thought.

"Annabeth, that's not what I said." He pleaded. "Please don't twist -"

As soon as he said it, someone from behind Annabeth yelled. "Percy? What the- where did you-?"

Annabeth turned around to find one very-much-in-a-hurry Jason. He was giving a look like: _Man, not this now._ As soon as Annabeth saw, he faked a smile.

_What is going on?_

Percy glared at Jason and he backed off.

"What happened?"

"Nico's here." Percy said. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, he came early. I don't know why; he just did. Um... maybe you should show him around? Give him some company? It could take your mind off of everything and he would feel better too." He looked behind her and Annabeth was sure it was Jason making some other face again.

"I'll tell you everything once I know more." He said. "Just, think about what I said, okay? If it makes you feel better, you're the only one I said it to."

_It kind of does make me feel better._

_Damn, I really am jealous._

...............

When Piper saw Annabeth, she momentarily felt conscious of her own dress and then realised that it was not hers, but Annabeth's, that was weird. Piper was wearing a yellow long sleeve short satin dress - a modest modern club wear material while Annabeth was wearing black pants with a brownish-red dress that reached till her upper thigh. She had topped it with a shrug. The only "skin" Annabeth showed is her hands and her face while for Piper it was her hips, shoulders and legs.

 _Weird_.

Annabeth's didn't look anything like a party dress.

Anyway, she figured they had other problems to worry about - Silena Beauregard, who was definitely NOT a Selected, was sitting in between them and she was tipsing from tipsy to drunk.

"Wh-are you-?" It came out like a reflex from Annabeth.

"Are you two a couple?" Drew asked, looking from Annabeth to Piper. "Why're you always showin' up together?"

Annabeth ignored her and placed one hand on Silena's shoulder from behind the sofa. "How much has she had?"

"About 3 shots." Calypso replied.

She hit Silena on her shoulder. "You should not be drinking if you can't handle it!"

Silena gave her a stink eye that resembled Drew's. Piper was caught off guard. "Leave me alone." Silena leaned over Lady Calypso who attempted to comfort her with the world's most awkward shoulder shrugs. Anyone could tell Calypso was having a hard time breathing in the same air as drunk Silena while sitting in a room stinking of alcohol.

Piper understood her of course. It wasn't the most natural sweet flowery smell Calypso was used to. Annabeth on the other hand frowned at Lady Calypso and that made Piper sigh.

_There was no way this girl understood any of the Selected. She didn't even attempt to try to do so._

_Except me._

_Why? Because I'm not into Percy like that._

Piper was lacking in many ways but the one thing that Piper had, which perhaps not many other Selected wanted to have at this moment, was her easy attitude towards friendship. Overtime, she had talked to all of the Selected (now, Privileged) and tried to, not judge, but understand their characters and where it came from.

It was easy for her. It was who she was innately.

Annabeth on the other hand... not the best at not being jealous. But, that's okay. All of them had their weaknesses. Piper could live with them.

"What?" Drew sneered. "Grab a shot glass and go sit down. We don't have forever for the games."

Annabeth looked back to where Piper handed over a small shot half-filled with what looked like wrongly coloured Vodka. She shifted it with precision and walked over to the other side of the room to sit on a loveseat. Piper sat beside her.

Piper's mind wondered if there was some magical energy to the room which placed everything in the most convenient setting possible for a party. First off, the room was big enough to make-shift into a dance floor if they pushed all the sofas to one wall. It had an open bar with a dozen leather stools placed in a comical circular fashion. The whole room could easily accommodate 50 people and the drinks were all placed in the table next to where the Selected sat.

The Selected only occupied about 10% space of the high-end bar. They sat, having turned the sofas away from their respected tables to form the nearest ideal of a circle, in 3 sofas each occupying 3 people and in 3 loveseats occupying 2 each. Some of them sat on cushions on the floor. Just to keep everyone in hearing range, Piper thought.

She jolted back into reality when Lady Cassey tapped her hand rest and lifted her eyebrows. Annabeth reached over to pick up a bottle and passed it over to her after filling her own glass.

_Why did Annabeth take a shot already?_

"Alright. Now that _that_ is set, I think we should move on to the real games instead of the same lame spin the bottle story." Reyna suggested.

Piper noticed the empty bottle on the floor which had its mouth facing between Annabeth and herself. She had taken the first shot.

"Exactly." Drew followed. "The one who gets drunk first loses the series."

Everybody agreed.

Lady Reza went first. "Never have I ever played dumb just to get out of a mess."

Piper and a few others chuckled. Most of the room rolled their eyes. Few of them took their shots.

"Never have I ever secretly wished to have super powers." Lady Kayla proposed.

Annabeth flashed a smile which Drew narrowed her eyes at. Everyone except Reyna, Reza, Cassey and Drew took their shots. Yes, even Silena.

It was Lady Valentina's turn next. She looked around as if wondering if it was the right choice to ask her question then went for it: "Never have I ever _heard or watched_ someone at _it_. Excluding the internet."

A few girls sighed in embarrassment. Many laughed and looked around. Surprisingly, Drew and Alice took shots. Suddenly, she found Calypso frowning in her direction.

Piper glanced at Annabeth to find her glass empty.

Annabeth was trying to look anywhere but the girls and it was obvious that not many noticed that she had had a drink. Calypso was definitely observant.

_Who did Annabeth -_

Lady Laurel spoke up. "What is this innocent play? Never have I ever kissed a girl."

That effectively caught Piper's attention. Her cheeks burned. She looked around the room just like everyone else but then closed her eyes and gulped down the burning liquid in a flash.

The room went silent.

"Wha-"

"When did you-"

"It is not one of us, is it?~"

"No, genius, if that was the case then two people would've had the drink."

Piper tried to zone them all out. Drew spoke in an obviously self-satisfied manner. "How was it?"

Her cheeks burned more at that.

"Yeah, spill girl." Someone called out.

"What do you mean by how it was..." She looked around in embarrassment. "It was just like any other kiss."

Lady Cassey laughed. "Was it a dare?"

Piper thought about lying for a second but then, "No. No, it wasn't."

Cassey's smile fell. Alice pushed, "What? Are you bisexual then?"

"Hey!" Annabeth interrupted. "Since when do we ask these many follow up questions?" She pointed at Calypso. "Your turn, Lady Calypso."

Piper mouthed a thank you to Annabeth. She nodded.

Lady Calypso hummed. "Now that we've gone there, let us all get this cleared up. Be honest. Drink if you've had more than 5 or more dates with the prince."

Surprisingly, Annabeth didn't drink. Drew, Rachel, Calypso, Reyna and even Valentina emptied their half-filled shot glass.

"Number." She asked.

"5" Drew, Reyna and Valentina said.

"6" Calypso said. They turned towards Rachel.

"Well... I spent 3 whole days around him...?"

Calypso brushed it off. "True that."

Stella spoke. "What about a kiss then?"

_Oh boy._

_This was an enviable blackhole they were gonna fall into, wasn't it?_

Nearly HALF of the room raised their hands.

Piper wasn't expecting that count. _Percy is better than that... right?_

The room was unusually tense. All the supressed emotions had stared leaking from the corners.

For the shortest second, Piper had imagined this party to go like any girl's only night out. She imagined they would get drunk, apply nail polish on each other, sing songs in horrible tunes then fall asleep uncomfortably. _Well, I guess that isn't how a girl's night out goes if all the girls are pining over the same guy._

Those who didn't drink stared at those who did. Rachel spoke. "Silena?"

"Oh," she hiccupped, "I'm not in. I didn't ki-" she laughed. "Percy is like a cousin brother, seriously. You guys play, it just got interesting." She tauntingly raised her eyebrows at Annabeth. "The whole gang bet on Annabeth anyway."

Rachel must have felt offended. "You're that sure?"

"Yeah sure." She replied with a hiccup. "Question is if they'll end up together." She leaned over to Calypso and whisper screamed the rest with one hand blocking her face in an unsuccessful attempt to hide it from Annabeth. "We have a divided bet on that."

Annabeth huffed and shook her head but had a small smile on her face. "Don't worry." She smirked at Rachel. "They've been on it for years and the terms of the bet has varied so much that they're not sure if they already won or not."

Billie's turn next. "Forget this. Raise your glasses if a Prince has kissed you. That makes all the difference, doesn't it?" She stared at Rachel.

"That-" Silena pointed at a wall about 10⁰ to the right of Annabeth. "Is true. Ohhh..." She shushed herself. "She knows..." She hit herself on the forehead. "I'm gonna sleep." She coughed. Calypso immediately sat down as if she'd found her new escape and let Silena sleep on the loveseat.

Only Annabeth, Rachel and Drew raised their hands. Alice rolled her eyes. "Drew is lying."

"No, I'm not! What do you know?"

Katie was vexed. "Your insecurities?" Drew glared daggers at her.

On the other hand, the question had forced Annabeth and Rachel to chew on an apple of discord. They were both green with envy.

A war was about to start.

Drew said, "Never have I ever suggested to sle-"

Rachel spoke up, dismissing Drew and forgetting the order. "Never have I ever walked a prince to his room after a good night kiss on the rooftop." She didn't wait for the others. She emptied her drink.

Annabeth shook her head. "Never has a prince ever carried me over to my room and kissed me on the first actual date." She emptied her glass. "God why is the temperature rising?"

"You shouldn't have worn cloths like it is snowing inside." Katie pointed out.

"Yeah, Wise girl, you might wanna get a little less decent. It is just the girls... or are you afraid of the faux next to you?" Stella smirked at Piper.

Piper suddenly wished to meet her inside the sword fighting ring. She grit her teeth.

Annabeth glared at her before taking off her shrug. She then stood up and took off her pants too. "Now," she sat down on the floor and glared at Rachel, "where were we?"

For the record, Piper didn't think of Annabeth like that.

Rachel smugly lifted up a bottle and sat front of her on the floor. "Never have I ever took the prince to my home?" They were for sure getting wasted today. It didn't look like they gave a shit. Piper wasn't sure if they realized it or not but they were gulping full instead of half shots now.

Annabeth looked up at the ceiling in amusement. "I've lived in the same floor as him for years, know him front to back and been inside his room enough times." She lifted the bottle and took a gulp straight from it.

_Why were the others not stopping them?_

Rachel was red in anger. "Estelle likes me. The queen does too and it has been only a few months. How long did they take to trust you?"

Annabeth grit her teeth. "You really think they trust you? Yeah? Who is the one who knows secret passages, codes to those secret passages and royal secrets?!!" She snarled.

Piper's eyes widened. _Was Annabeth exaggerating?_

Here, I'll break the 4th wall to ask you readers:

_Is it safe to say something like that out loud? In front of all the Selected? One of them could be the one framing Annabeth, right?_

_What if---_

_My mind: STOP WITH THE SPOILERS._

*4th wall glued back together. *

Katie was worried about Annabeth. "Um, girls, maybe she had too much to drink. She is blabbering now."

Rachel looked like someone slapped her cheek. She took a big gulp and said, "I introduced him to my father."

Annabeth snickered. "Yeah drink, drink, my father introduced _me_ to the _Prince_." She laughed coldly.

Piper wasn't sure but she thought Rachel's confidence wavered. "And my mom invited him for breakfast!"

Annabeth went silent at that.

 _Of course_ , Piper thought, _Annabeth's mom only revealed herself a few weeks ago and she never approved of Percy._

Maybe it was the fact that Annabeth realised the mistake she just made or maybe she was too wasted. "I'm out." She said and drowned the rest of the bottle. "I didn't want this party anyway."

She grabbed her shrug and tried to get up, only to fall back down on Rachel. It didn't look like she was in a state to try to wear her pants now.

When she did eventually manage to stand up and walk straight enough, she collided head on with the nearest wall. She looked back one last time, eyes clearly giving away how drunk the girl was, she leaned over one wall and used it as leverage to cross over the room and get out. After she left, Piper looked the girls and surprisingly, nearly half of them were either smiling or had smug looks.

The only person who looked like she didn't understand anything was Rachel, considering she was equally drunk.

Piper was pretty annoyed at this point.

"You know?" She locked eyes one after other with Calypso, Reyna, Valentina and Rachel. "Just like how not saying the truth is equal to lying, not doing anything is acting accomplice of the criminal." She looked at Drew.

"Ohh" Stella retaliated. "We find a little detail about her and her girlfriend gets all mad."

Cassey gestured out. "You're free to join her, you know?"

Drew nodded. "Just know that if you choose to leave now, we're gonna make it really hard for you to meet your little.... blond crush."

Piper paled. Immediately, she looked at Katie, the only person except Annabeth who knew about Jason.

Katie refused to look at her. She couldn't say if it was in embarrassment or guilt.

Lady Reyna frowned. Piper didn't know why.

"What?" Calypso asked. She was helping Rachel sit back up. "You thought we won't know? Hmm... I wonder what the prince feels about this..."

All colour left Piper's face.

She couldn't be suggesting.....

Treason...

No... not Calypso! Not the nice ones!

Lady Amber asked. "Piper, what is she talking about?"

"Exactly." Piper maintained her poker face. "What are you on about, Lady Calypso? And, Drew, who said anything about leaving?"

Drew looked satisfied.

"So, who is up for the next game?"

..........

Annabeth was sure there were a million stairs to her room when she looked down from the 4th floor.

And why exactly was the hallway a circle instead of the regular straight way?

There were water pipes floating above her...

_How can I breathe?_

She giggled.

_This is so satisfying...._

_Waaaaaittttt....._

_Why is Percy not talking to me?_

_Did we fight...._

_No...._

_Fight. The swordfight... I threw him around. Hehehe..._

_I can totally protect the guy, you know?_

_Protect._ She coughed. _Oh... I need to protect my Seaweed brain..._

_Where is the way to the secret rooms?_

_What are they called...?_

_Uh...._

_They had water bubbles in the room..._

She hiccupped. _Bottles. Bubbles. Bottles._

_So Percy drinks sugar water..._

She shook her head. Salt. Salt.

Whyyyy....

Finally, after an eternity, she came to her floor and entered her room.

_Jeez... I want him._

That effectively sobered her up a little.

She blushed - which didn't make any difference as she was flushed enough because of the alcohol. She hit herself on the cheeks.

"Wh-at hell am I thinkiiing?" Her drunken voice spoke.

"Yeah, Annabeth, what the hell are you thinking?" Someone asked.

She hiccup-coughed, grabbed the door which felt overly heavy for its size.

_Maybe I had too much?_

"Who is it?" A voice called from inside her room. Again, the room felt way too big for its size.

Why do they have the same voice?

_Yeah, I had too much._

Annabeth focused hard to figure out who it was. The person (or people) on the other end were staring at her too intensely.

She looked at the guy. "Whee are there eeee of you?"

_I know him...._

The voice was closer now. Or did she move inside? She squished her eyes and looked again. "There isi _de-depinetely_ tooo of yo-u." **(Translation: There is definitely two of you.)**

At the same time, Annabeth felt a kind of an earthquake behind her. The door to her room opened and in came a certain Prince wearing a navy bathroom robe that did a poor job hiding his upper body (probably because said Prince didn't care enough to tie the robe well). His raven hair was still wet and sticking out in awkward directions.

"Well, that's good news." His guard said. "Now I can tell Silena that her boyfriend is gonna be back without a scratch."

Percy smiled and opened the door to her room. "That's the best thing I've heard all day."

Then, he saw her.

And froze.

Jason, at the same time, frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Annabeth wasn't so disoriented anymore but she _sincerely_ wished she was.

Just to use that as an excuse to stare at Percy's... _well, just a little longer?_

He must've noticed as he immediately hid himself and re-did his robe in a hurry. "Unit dismissed." He called out. "Jason standby."

The earthquake stopped.

Jason looked back. "Did you...?"

"NO. NO - WE- I – I-I-I" Percy put his hands up. "Didn't."

Annabeth involuntarily bit her lip and Percy noticed it in a beat. He'd completely forgot about the robe part while raising his hands. He whined and went back to tying it.

Jason stood in front of Annabeth, blocking Percy.

"Oh move, will you?" She spoke with proper pronunciation.

"Answer me." He was irritated. "Why are you here?"

"W-what do - mean why-I- am I -?" She was irritated now. "I'm i-in my _room_ , Jason." She spun around only to trip on her own feet.

Someone caught her. "So, you recognize Percy, you see Jason, but you don't know us?" He demanded.

"She's definitely got her priorities straight." His mirror image spoke.

"Wait." She tried to sober up. "Why can only see one of them but two of you?"

The guy looked at his mirror image. The mirror image spoke. "Hello, I'm Connor, he is Travis, good to meet you. Now, where is the real Annabeth?"

Travis hit him. "Shut up. You don't want her to know that you roofied Percy, do you?" He whispered the last part but Annabeth heard it clearly. As if on instinct, she punched the mirror one's nose. The poor guy stumbled back. Percy was trying hard not to laugh uncontrollably.

"Dude! That was uncalled for!" He came forward as if wanting to retaliate but instead of hitting her, he hit Travis.

"Ohhh, even drunk Annabeth is scary." Travis pointed out.

"Fuc-forget it!" A wave of nausea hit her. "Aa-all of you, get out! I need to sa-sleep."

She walked straight inside and feel on the bed. The distance to her bed felt unusually long and the bed itself was unusually soft.

_So soft..._

Her mind said, _best mood to sleep naked!_

_Only if these idiots get out..._

"Go back to your room, Percy." She cooed. "I'm tired. We'll speak in the morning." She gave him a drunken smile.

He walked further in. "Um... about-about that Wise-" He ran one hand on his hair when she looked at him. "You're actually in my...?"

"In your head?" She smiled. "Like I said," she whispered, "tomorrow."

"That's n-not what I was-" He looked at Jason for help.

Jason looked completely, totally, unmistakeably lost.

Annabeth suddenly stood up and removed her shrug. "It is too sweaty." She looked back at the four boys whose eight eyes were staring at her. "Come on! Get out." She made a hand gesture that roughly read: _Shoo_

"What-what are you doing?" Connor spoke.

"Oh yeah!" She smiled. "I was changing my dress, I remember now." She bent down to grab on to her dress.

Jason looked away. Percy immediately brought his hands forward in a defensive position and said, "NO. NO. NO!"

She bit her teeth in anger. " _Why??"_

"We're still inside!" He reasoned. Connor and Travis nodded but looked alarmed. "Don't you get it? 4 guys! Inside the room!"

"Then get out!" She fired back. "Lock the door too!" She bent down again. "Gods, I hate this -" She dragged the hem of the dress up.

Travis and Connor jumped on it. "Okayyy, time to go." They pulled Jason with them.

"Guys, guys, don't leave me like this." Percy pleaded. "Help?"

"If she finds out we saw her like this, she is gonna kill us. If she finds out you did, she is gonna blush." Travis said. "Who do you think needs help?"

"Jason! You told me she can't be alone with-"

"Ah- yes he-"

"You wanna die tomorrow?" Connor asked him. The genuine seriousness in his face seemed to reason with Jason.

"Exceptions?" He changed his stance.

"Jackson, before you do anything, make sure she is in her senses."

Annabeth whined. Everytime she tried to bend down; a wave of nausea would hit her. "Percyyy... I feel sick. Help me take this off."

The rest of the guys lifted their eyebrows. "Yeah, help her." They pushed him in and locked the door.

Percy hit the door a few times before looking back in. Annabeth was sitting on his bed with her hands on her head. She leaned back and tried to reach her dress again. "Please don't hate me."

He went straight towards her and held her shoulders. "No, Wise girl, you're gonna be cold." She shrugged out his hold and mumbled something in her drunken state. Irritated, he tried to get up and shouted. "No!" She made an unexpected move with her legs and he tripped over her. The momentum made him pin her to the bed.

She froze only to look at him with big confused eyes.

He placed one hand on the bed to get up but found himself admiring her. _How he wished this were an utterly different circumstance..._

_The last time he was-_

She looked left and right. "Did I do something wrong?"

Percy immediately started coughing and got up. She sat up and blinked more. "No. No. You're just a little... um... drunk."

"Ah... is that why my computer is showing the stocks page?"

"Huh?"

She pointed at the table (which looked unusually big.) "I don't remember having that many losses last time."

Percy cringed at himself. He sat on the chair and started analysing the losses.

_Oh no, he did not just start working now. I wanna cuddle!_

"Why are you looking at my stocks again?"

"Annabeth... this is my room."

"We're sharing a room now?" She walked closer to him.

"No. I live with the twins."

"So, we have roommates. Where are they?" She sat down on his lap and put one hand over his shoulder.

He froze. "What are you doing?" He refused to meet her eyes.

"I wanna cuddle." She tilted her head to look at his eyes.

He closed his eyes as if trying to restrain himself. "Not today..." It was more of a _why today of all days_ than _I don't want to_. He breathed in and out deeply.

She adjusted herself to make sure she wasn't sitting on the cell phone in his front pocket and to make sure she wasn't making him uncomfortable by hitting any... sensitive areas... and leaned over his chest/shoulder. He still didn't look at her.

_Why was he so awkward and stiff?_

Annabeth let him be. She admired the stark pink colour that had formed all over his neck. The arm tattoo on his other hand. The way he concentrated so well on the computer screen. His half-wet hair. His collarbone. The muscles she was leaning on...

It felt weirdly safe to fall asleep.

"Don't stare at me."

"I didn't know you worked out."

"Yeah, the whole tournament thing made me wanna go back. You'd be seriously disappointed if you looked at me right now."

"Oh, I don't know about that." He didn't answer. She smiled and traced one finger over his neck. He was blushing so hard that it felt warm. Eventually, it was frustrating to know that he was trying his level best to not give attention to her; so, she pretended to trace his collarbone but ran her finger inside his robe.

Instantly, he pulled her away. She protested by crossing the second leg and cradling him. She no longer cared about a stupid phone. If he was uncomfortable, he can take it out. Percy bit his teeth but it didn't look like he was angry. "I don't think you know what you're doing but _please_ , please don't do this." He shifted and pushed her away from him. "Don't sit forward like this."

She frowned. "How do I sit then? Backward?" In one shot, she changed positions to sit facing the laptop.

"No. De-definitely no. God, you're turning me-"

"Hey, you idiot!" She looked back at him. "That is your strategy?"

"Huh? _What?_ "

"The stocks! You can't go like this! Wait let me..." She started clicking away.

Percy started at her. _This woman was gonna drive him mad_. He bit his tooth harder and thought about depressing stuff like the past war, the explosion where Beckendorf nearly died, the upcoming meetings and even the boring Olympics welcome parties.

_It didn't seem to work..._

After few minutes, she half turned and started explaining him what she had done. Percy wasn't really getting any of it. He was just staring at her.

"Alright?" She finally chucked and turned back to put an arm around his shoulder to go back to their initial position. "Your sober work is worse than my drunk one." She criticized. "I think you're gonna have to marry me to just keep you in track. What are you gonna do without me?"

"Exactly." Percy didn't look away this time. He gave her an eskimo kiss by flicking her nose tip with his. "What am I gonna do without you?"

Annabeth’s heart stopped for a second and started beating twice as fast the next. Her stomach churned in a way that had nothing to do with nausea.

He smiled. "Don't kiss me." He kissed her on the cheek. "You're drunk."

She pushed him away. "You're telling me that you have no problem with me sitting like this, talking to you and that smell is fine but I can't kiss you??"

"I do have a problem." He said stupidly.

Annabeth pulled away. He wasn't expecting that. She got up and looked around. A few uncertain minutes passed.

"I get it now. I'm in your room. Do you want me to go out?"

_No. Definitely not._

"Do you wanna go?" He asked.

"Not now, the Selected must be coming back now. Can I go after an hour?"

"Wait a minute... you all got drunk together??" He looked surprised. "Tomorrow is gonna be interesting." He laughed.

Annabeth didn't like it when Percy spoke of the Selected. Or referred it to as 'them'. Like... it was always more than one person. She sighed and went back to sit on his bed.

She giggled to hide her emotions. "I'm definitely choosing this one."

"No... I have my spot! I can't sleep on the twins' beds!"

She kept telling herself to not fall asleep in that one hour. To distract herself, she was lying on the bed, looking at the various decorations on the walls. Percy and Annabeth didn't talk much after that. He looked at his papers for a while then went into the shower. He had just showered from gym so Annabeth couldn't understand why he was showering again.

She thought about Percy, about her feelings, about Selection, about Percy's advice.

She wondered what all was in store for her.

For the smallest moment, she felt like crying.

She also felt extremely happy like never before in her life.

When Percy came back, she was on the verge of falling asleep. He got inside the mattress and spooned her from the right. "We're cuddling now."

_Percy was extremely cold._

_He had taken a cold shower? At night?_

_Why?_

She turned around to give him a small kiss and he didn't protest. He returned it with equal tenderness. Annabeth faced away from him and pulled his arms further in. The first tear full of uncertainty fell from her eye onto his pillow.

She didn't _want_ to feel sad.

Percy was right, she shouldn't be thinking about everything else when it was just them.

All it ever did was put unnecessary pressure on their relationship.

She turned around and hugged him. She let the emotions engulf her. His scent, his slightly salty smell, his breath on her forehead.... it was addictive in a way that alcohol simply cannot substitute.

For the first time, she imagined as if she was the only one.

She imagined a world without Selection...

A world where Percy had feelings for only one person.

It felt too idealistic to be her life.

Even if it was all a lie, that moment, lying next to him, was pure bliss.

She could live with those lies...

For him.

........

I'm not gonna make any excuses. I was off for a while and the next updates are probably gonna be spaced out too. 

If you are curious and I know you are, so, if you want to know why, please read on...

Lot of things happened in the time when I was away. My granny died of sepsis due to prolonged ventilator therapy because of covid 19 and it being the first death in my family, I didn't quite know how to process it. I still don't. What really affected me, however, was looking at the constant nagging pain in my mom's eyes. Why? Coz she is a doctor. Of course, by rules, she couldn't treat her immediate family so she wasn't officially responsible for granny but she did stay with her during her last 45 days of increased suffering. So, my mom was blaming herself thinking she did something wrong in suggesting the hospital or initial treatment but I know in my heart that it isn't the case. How? Because the entire of my cousin's family, 6 people totally, got covid and everyone else is fine. That includes grandpa (much older than granny) and he is doing okay.

I'm not gonna go too much into details of what really happened (not because I don't want to but because I don't really think everyone would understand anyway.) Then, the funeral rituals happened and mom broke down too many times to keep count.

That was the hardest part. Looking at mom. It changed me. I've never seen her cry like this, ever.

This was in October. In November, exactly on the one month anniversary of my granny's death, I got Covid. Nothing really happened to me, thankfully. I was in home quarantine for 2 weeks and I was okay the entire time. I don't know how I got it. I wore N-95 the three times I went out since lockdown. I sanitized and took all the precautions. However, the one good thing I did which I know many don't do is that I isolated myself from my family immediately after I had signs of fever. This made sure that I didn't spread the disease AT ALL. The fact that my mom, who is closest to me, didn't get it, is proof.

I admit, at this point, I could've started writing again. 

But I didn't.

I don't know about you but I can't bring myself to write lovey-dovey-happy-go memories of a fanfiction couple when my whole family is grieving. 

Anyway, with new year and new beginnings, I did want to start from where I left off and finish it (even if it takes time.)

Also, I started writing this story during the lockdown period when my whole day was free but I don't live in that dream world anymore. I have classes, tests, responsibilities and commitments. That doesn't mean I'm going to completely stop writing either because I know for a fact that looking at all those comments and replying and hearing from you guys is the best thing that has happened to me in over 4 years. 

I don't think I was that happy for a long time. In fact, I didn't even know I could be _this_ happy till now.

So, I won't stop. I'll just take time.

The last thing I wanna say is: My granny and I... We hadn't spent much time during the past 3 years because of my academic commitments and then when I wanted to, we couldn't because of lockdown. I saw my granny healthy and smiling last in August. How could someone so alive, positive, healthy and kind and amazing be gone so unexpectedly?

Her death hit us like a train accident.

Please keep yourself and your family and your neighbors safe because you may think you'll be fine and you'll get through it - and I'm not saying you won't, you definitely will - but don't be the cause for someone else's grievance. You may be fine but that can't be said for everyone you may infect. Do your best to make sure you don't get the infection but if you do get it, don't blame yourself; just make sure that you don't give it to anyone.

........

*wiping tears* *putting on a fake poker face*

If you didn't completely understand the last part, i.e. Percy and Annabeth before they fell asleep, I want you to think about this carefully: Percy said he was never gonna use his phone unless Leo reprograms it. When Annabeth sat on Percy's lap (in front of the laptop), she said: She adjusted herself to make sure she wasn't sitting on the cell phone in his front pocket.

I wonder where the phone suddenly came from.

**What really is going on in Huston province? Is someone in trouble?**

**Is Beckendorf... safe?**

****Percabeth made up, definitely, but why does it feel like they broke up?** **

**I basically wanted at least one chapter to reflect on Percy's feelings so that's why I wrote this instead of jumping straight into the Selected drinking party. Don't worry, everything will happen at its own pace.**

**Percy isn't a bad guy guys. It's just the circumstance that is driving him crazy. Just like everyone else.**

***Cue evil laughter***

**Have you missed me?**

**I'm back for good!**


	19. Twist of Fate/"Gave Percy a frustrating bone-"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm swamped in work, so I wasn't gonna update, but it is Valentine's day, and this is the perfect chapter to ruin it. I just couldn't help myself.
> 
> Hahaha *evil smirk*
> 
> Read at your own risk.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"A story of two people. Two people who shouldn't have met, and who didn't like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other."**

**~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Percy was debating between forgetting everything, giving in to the feeling and kissing Annabeth's neck versus not being a player. Why was the obvious answer the polar opposite of the option he wanted to side on?

His ears and neck were flushed again.

_Stop! She is sleeping..._

He chuckled. "You're gonna be so embarrassed tomorrow." He held her shoulder and scooted away so he could see her better. "What are the odds?" He sighed. "Don't hate me tomorrow."

_Why am I such a nice guy all of a sudden?_

Annabeth's breathing was shallow. She was fast asleep. Percy smiled. "This is the first time we're sleeping alone in the same place, you know?" He caressed her hair gently. "Feels so surreal." He found himself admiring her again.

_Why am I so all over the place?_

_Am I nostalgic now? Sad? Hopeful?_

He leaned forward and placed a tiny kiss on her forehead. "You know? Sometimes... you feel like you're already family." He detached himself from her and looked up. "You know that I love mom, Tyson and Estelle. They're everything to me. You're different but... how do I put it? I care about you? I want the best for you? What is it? Makes no sense, right?"

He suddenly flinched away and shook his head. "You're sleeping!" He huffed. "What the- I'm talking to myself. You, woman, seem to be actually driving me insane." He laughed and shook it off.

Then, he heard his life's most irritating sound. Someone was knocking on the freaking door.

Knowing Jason, it was probably him and, knowing Jason; he wasn't gonna stop until Percy came out. He gritted his teeth in frustration and moved from his position slowly to not wake Annabeth up.

He slowly opened the door, and whisper screamed, "What the hell do you want? You're disturbing Ann-" - and abruptly came face to face with a startled Rachel.

Percy frantically closed the door.

"Rac-La-Lady Rachel." He squinted his eyes. "What are you doing here!?"

She only stared at him, still stunned. With mortification, Percy realised that he was wearing only his shorts. The extra skin, untamed hair and the hairy legs probably came out more surprising to Rachel than Annabeth. (Afterall, it was Rachel who had never seen him in anything but designer suits.)

He crossed his arms over his chest. "One minute." He rushed back in and reached for the first t-shirt from the closet.

_Well, I guess the hairy legs damage is done._

He glared at Annabeth. " _Why_ on earth is this happening together? Not ANYONE else but THESE two..." He scratched his head then realised that he was making his hair worse. "You-" He pointed at Annabeth. "-you guys didn't plan this, did you? It is not a prank, is it?"

His own idea sounded ridiculous to him. _Rachel won't do this. Annabeth... well... she_ might _find it funny._

 _But, there is no way in any freaking universe_ (where they both have feelings for him) _that Annabeth would do it WITH her._

Annabeth shifted in her sleep and started mumbling.

Percy's eyes widened, and he immediately went closer to her. "Shush... shush... sleep. Shush. It's okay." He caressed her shoulder in a way he hoped was comforting. "We _don't_ want you waking up now."

After making sure Annabeth wasn't actually awake, he stepped out. Rachel was leaning near his door, her eyes looking far away like she was thinking deeply.

Or, say, it could just be the alcohol.

"You took a god awful time for a t-shirt." She pointed out.

Percy dodged her. "Why're you...? How did you..?" He looked back at his door.

Rachel scrutinised him for a second, and his throat felt dry as if he'd just had several shots of tequila. Percy's heart skipped a beat.

Oopsie, sorry, -skipped a beat in fear. (*smirks at all your reactions*)

_She didn't - perhaps... happen to - um - notice someone in, did she?_

"Let's walk." He recommended.

She let it go and walked with him. "Silena told me where your room is." That only confused him more. "I - I - um... realised I...", she scratched her head, "...wanna tell you something." she dragged out and coughed. "But I threw up, but I'm still a little off, and I think I'm having hallucinations--" She grabbed him by the bicep.

"Hallucinations?"

"Yep." She smiled at him. "Like... I thought I saw you sleeping inside, but you were already out so --"

Percy didn't want to correct her.

"Point is." She grabbed both his hands. "I'll forget it tomorrow. I had to tell you."

Percy's mind immediately went into panic mode. This was the first time he had seen Rachel drunk, and she already looked like the blabbering type.

He didn't want a half-hearted drunken confession, or an 'I love you'.

He didn't know how to handle it. "O-uh-okay... listen, why don't you get some sleep and talk when you're better-"

"No." She brought herself closer to him. "Listen. This is important."

This was making him anxious.

"So, you remember the guy who attacked me?"

" _Oh._ That's what this is about?" He blurted out.

"Umm-hmm... He was there in that particular underground-secret-place thing. Like... he was expecting someone eventually. Out of all those places where he could have been. If he just wanted to kidnap a Selected then why wait there? Doesn't that feel odd?"

"Yeah..." He was more awake now. "What's your point?"

"When he held me captive in that room. God, I was scared. I didn't notice it immediately, but I'm sure there was a phone. It makes sense. That's what he was looking at when I tricked him."

"We tore the room apart for clues. We never found anything worthwhile." He tried.

"Maybe he had it on him when he escaped? Also, how _do_ you attacked by poisoned arrows and _still_ escape? I could barely walk because of the poison."

Percy looked away and ran a hand over his hair. "We're thinking in the same direction as you." She looked surprised. "I didn't wanna scare you. I'm sorry, I didn't tell you before." He looked straight at her.

"So there _is_ an accomplice inside the palace." She concluded their thoughts. "Shit. I thought I was - are you sure?"

"I can't tell you why but there are reasons why we think so too. And, honestly, we could have more than one." He looked at her. "I guess there is no point hiding it from you. We were both attacked, so, clearly, you're not the spy."

"Well, three of us." She sighed. "Annabeth saved me. Rules her out too."

He didn't answer.

"One more thing. Silena was with us today." He frowned, she continued. "Yeah, it didn't look like she is someone who could handle it. She was complaining about her boyfriend, not answering her texts and asking us if he broke up with her."

"Weird. Why would Beck break -? Nonsense." He quickly said.

"Really? Nonsense? Is he that faithful?"

"Yeah. They've been together for over 7 years now."

They fell silent.

"So-" she turned back to walk the way they came from and bumped shoulders with him, now facing him. "What did _you_ think this was about?"

He was embarrassed. "I had... no idea?"

She smirked. "Is that why you panicked?"

He ignored her and headed back to his room.

"Hey! Hey! Okay. Okay. We'll forget it." She smiled, catching up with him. "But... what do you say? This whole investigation is bringing us closer, isn't it?" She bumped shoulders with him again.

Percy smiled lopsidedly. "Is it?"

"So, you like it too." Her smile broadened. "Does that mean I can get a direct card into the Elite?"

"Hey, let's not get too ahead of ourselves here." He didn't look stern. He only smiled teasingly at her.

"Fine. Fine. What about the date you owe me, though?"

"Hey! I'm supposed to surprise you. Where is the fun if not?" He shrugged.

"Not always, your highness. Maybe sometimes you can just tell me when you're free, and _I_ could surprise _you_." He started denying, but she wanted to get the point across. "I know it's not conventional. The others may not agree, but it can just be something that we do."

Percy looked uncertain.

"I won't tell you." She said. "Like I said, just between us."

They'd reached the stairs by then. He thought for a second, smiled genuinely and brought his hands up - Rachel thought - possibly to hold her neck in a way that he does just before stealing a kiss. She had noticed it in their previous encounters.

But, last minute, he hesitated and ran it over his untamed hair.

She badly wanted to scream at him. _Don't hesitate! It is okay!_

She closed the gap between them and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you later then."

......

Percy wanted to hit himself. He'd been so involved in Rachel's theory that he'd completely forgot that there were three other guards on the same floor.

They ganged-up on him.

" _Why_ do I see you smiling after _the wrong_ girl -", Travis demanded.

Percy smiled awkwardly at them. He placed his hands in front of him, protectively. "Guys, come on. It's not like I feel too advantageous -"

Connor backed him up. "and walking the _wrong_ girl down the hallway?"

"-she-she had important information! Look, you might-"

Jason was in it too. "I was sure it was someone else just 15 minutes back. Am I wrong?"

"She just wanted to talk about her kidnapper!" He defended.

"Oh, and she had to do it _today._ "

"In the _middle_ of the night."

Jason grit his teeth. "When _another_ girl is in your _room_."

This was starting to get a little out of hand. Just when Percy decided it was best to bolt to his room and lock the door, the Stolls looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Happened sooner than I expected." Jason chucked and clapped Percy on his shoulder.

Their sudden change in attitude gave Percy whiplash. "Weren't you gonna-"

"What?" Travis questioned. "Stop you from getting some?"

"Nah," Connor answered. "We all admitted long ago that you get more than the three of us combined. Or well, used to, at least." He looked around for confirmation.

"Ugh, no, it's not like-"

"Save it. So, you wanna tell us what happened?" Jason asked.

"Annabeth's fast asleep." He peeked in and closed the door properly.

The Stolls shared a look. "Anything which you might wanna tell... uh... happened?"

"No!" He blushed. Gods, today was the day he spent blushing the most from just conversations. "She just fell asleep."

Even Jason didn't look convinced. "Ah... what about the- 'help me' issue?"

"I told her she'd be cold. We talked a little. She just fell asleep after that. I'm serious!" He blushed more because of his lies.

Not _lies_.

_Partial truths._

"What about this one, then?" Jason gestured at the staircase.

"Well, Rachel is onto us. She thinks the spy is inside the castle too."

"Clever one, that girl," Connor noted. "You seem to have a thing for clever ones."

Percy blushed a little more. His face must look like a tomato if it wasn't so dark outside.

"Talking about the girls... don't you think they should get some security? I've been thinking that since Lady Rachel's attack." Travis looked a little eager on the topic.

"Yeah, I thought so too. I think it will be easier of we make him standby on the third floor, near to Willow's desk." Percy said.

"Working with Miss. Willow? No, thank you. Working for Percy's girls? No, thank you. Looking at Percy smile, talk, and kiss these many girls regularly?" Connor gaged. "No, thank you."

Travis ignored him. "But, who? It is the transfer season, and the rest are training for the posts. We only have so many people we trust."

Connor smirked. "I can think of one person who isn't training or transferring right now."

The group collectively narrowed its eyes on Jason.

Jason whined. "Everything else is fine but not Miss. Willow guys! Please! I'm not in! That lady wants to turn everyone she meets into her perfect version of a brainless statue!-"

"Jason!" Percy interrupted him. "You're on probation; you're hurt, you're... this is perfect! Someone I trust with the girls all the time!"

He looked conflicted.

It's not like Jason can protest against Percy either. Percy made sure the things he said didn't come off like orders anymore, but sometimes, Jason had to accept his decision to avoid the power dynamics problem within their friendship.

This looked like one of those times.

"Well, if you don't want to then can I-" Travis started.

Connor nudged him. "Oh, you'd be so willing to 'protect' these girls, won't you, brother?" Percy frowned. Connor whispered, "What was her name again? I think he's got a little crush- Ouch."

Travis stepped on Connor's foot.

"You guys have no respect for The Selection, the idea of treason... nothing." Percy clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Do you even realize who you're telling this to?!" He demanded, faking anger.

He glared at Travis and Jason and took two steps closer.

Their roles were now reversed.

"Um... maybe we-we, uh, can, um, call this even?" Jason defended.

"Yeah- tit for tat, eh?" Travis smiled awkwardly. "We keep _this_ quiet from Annabeth, and you can keep this quiet from, uh, _the kingdom_?"

"Hey! What's my share?" Connor asked. "I don't gain anything from keeping either of your secrets!"

They all glared at him.

Just then, Percy saw someone else trying to walk criss-cross down the staircase. "You-" He climbed up the stairs and stood in front of her.

"Hello, tall figure!" She exclaimed and squinted her eyes. "Prince Percy!"

"Why are y'all like this?" He demanded.

She slipped on one staircase, and Percy had to grab her arms before she fell. "Fine. Fine. We'll talk after you get down slowly. Slowly!"

At the end of the stairs, she said. "Where's your bo--" Her speech wasn't clear. When he didn't answer, she repeated. "Where is your boyfriend?" The last part wasn't clear.

"WHAT?"

Jason raised his hands. "Hello?"

He came forward to help her down. When Percy looked alarmed, he said, "What? I am _still_ your bodyguard."

Percy mumbling, "That's not what I heard..."

"What's up, Silena?" The Stolls asked together.

Silena turned to Jason. "Where. On. Earth. Is. Charles?" She had her phone in her hand and used it to hit the air. "Why is he not picking up my calls!!??"

"It's probably unreachable. Have you tried texting?" Travis asked.

She lousily opened the chats and shoved it on his face. "I texted 100 times! And he just texts me to wait! This is not normal! THIS IS NOT HIM!" She shouted.

"Shush... you're gonna wake Annabeth up!" Percy exclaimed.

"Annie?" She looked around. "I don't see Annabeth."

"That's 'cause she's sleeping in Percy's room," Connor smirked.

Percy's ears and neck were flushed. Again.

It was like he was swimming in his own sea of embarrassment by now.

Silena took a double-take and looked straight at Percy. She asked something in a serious tone which only increased Percy's redness.

"Did you two finally have se-"

His eyes widened, and he shut her up by pressing one hand to her mouth. The Stolls burst out laughing.

"NO! No! Wh-" His entire face burned. "She's as drunk as you and doesn't know the difference between 3rd floor and 2nd floor!" His voice was strained.

She slapped his hand away. "Ah, whatever, you guys are so boring."

Jason, who was ignoring the whole conversation and reading Silena's phone, turned to her. "I think Tools is compromised."

Their bickering stilled. Silena went pale. She opened her mouth but couldn't speak.

Connor clicked his tongue. "What are you on about, man?"

"Oh." Jason jerked out of his trance. "I mean _Tools_ may be compromised." He waved the phone around. "Not Captain Tools."

"You think Beck's secret phone is compromised?" Travis asked.

"I don't know for sure, but I don't have a good feeling about this." Jason looked around. "We should take it to Leo. Just to confirm things."

Percy and Jason shared a knowing look: _If Beck's phone used the same hacking system as Annabeth's, it could be reverse tracked easily since they already know the algorithm. They just might be able to find the location of the people behind Percy's attack._

"Silena we're gonna borrow your phone for a while, alright?" Connor said.

Silena still looked in a trance. She suddenly grabbed the nearest person's wrist - which happened to be Percy. "I-is-is Charlie in trouble?"

"No." He reassured her. "We got information from the team head that they were all okay. There is a chance his phone isn't though." He squeezed her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about him anymore. Go ahead and take rest." He looked at the rest for reassurance, and the Stolls nodded vigorously.

However, Jason looked deeper in thought, as if he was weighing all his moves before stepping into uncertainty.

Although he was sure of what he said, it left Percy worried - which make his expression funny as he was still red from everything that happened before.

.......

Annabeth's splitting headache made her want to time travel back to her past and kill herself. (Ohh, that would be a sudden way to end the story. 'Coz it is getting bigger LOL.)

Anyway, the last thing she remembered was climbing down the staircase in an exaggerated sloppy fashion. _How had she managed to tug herself inside her bed before falling asleep?_ She had zero ideas.

Life made sure to remind her why she woke up this suddenly.

Someone was, quite literally, banging on the door, threatening to break it open.

She barely made it to the door with the headache and disorientation. As soon as she keyed it in, someone slammed it open on the other side.

"WHERE IS PERCY?" Jason raged.

"Wha-" She spoke in a daze. "How am I- in his room?"

He looked seriously pissed off. "We just get the info that Captain Tools is - and now..." He looked like he was going mad. "WHERE IS PERCY?"

He dragged her out of her room, and guards suddenly swarmed in. Annabeth realised that everyone outside was in a state of panic. _Like they were waiting for the worst._

"You and Percy-" Jason spoke. "Look, I don't know the details, but you definitely slept in his room yesterday-"

Few doors opened. She looked around to see a few Selected, still in their nightdress, peak out of the room to see what was going on.

"Tel-tell me slowly. God, my headaches."

The fact that Drew - who was probably the earliest to wake since she had that much work to do to make herself presentable - was still in her nightdress implied that it was way too early for anyone to be awake.

Jason grabbed her by her shoulders and made her face him. "Look at me. Tell me what you remember!"

She didn't understand why he was man-handling her now. She weakly tried to push away and frowned heavily. "Le-let go. I-i don't know what you're talking about."

He didn't let go. "Annabeth, _please,_ help me understand _how_ is it that I never saw you coming out of his room, and no camera recorded you coming down, but, you're _here_? Where is he?"

"Maybe he's out! How am I supposed to know?"

When Jason frowned further, she couldn't contain her irritation. "Why? WHY ARE WE PANICKING?"

He pushed her away, harshly. Annabeth thought she saw his eyes flickering. "Why you ask?", he scoffed, "BECAUSE BECKENDORF IS DEAD!"

Annabeth's headache barely allowed all that information in.

_Dead?_

_What?_

"And PRINCE PERCY IS MISSING!" He turned around to point one finger at Lady Annabeth. "AND YOU WERE THE LAST PERSON TO SEE HIM."

Suddenly, a black hooded figure tacked Jason from behind. The guy punched Jason hard on his face. "How DARE you touch her?"

It was all too fast for her to understand.

The other guards immediately caught the anonymous person and dragged him away from Jason. He flexed his hands and released himself from their hold. The motion dragged his hood down.

It was Percy.

He glared at the guards and then, at Annabeth. He clenched his teeth and handed over a small device to her.

He lunged back at Jason, whose nose was bleeding. "I was in the lake!" He clarified (like that explained anything.) "You touch her one more time-" His eyes were red in rage.

She could barely read the message from the phone: S.O.S

Jason spoke without any fear or care. "Percy, are you-"

Percy flinched away. "I didn't have the phone the ONE TIME I NEEDED IT!"

He was angry. Furiously angry.

He had his hands on his head like he was trying to pull all his hair out. He grabbed the phone from Annabeth, and forcefully threw it down.

It barely scratched.

Annabeth was sure the girls were scared of this side of him.

She herself was.

He must have seen their expressions because he glared at them. "What are you looking at?" His words were slow and cold. The way he spoke reminded Annabeth of their first Selection fight. (After knowing Percy lied about not kissing Rachel.)

"Get ready for the funeral."

He climbed up the stairs without an explanation.

.......

**~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"All of a sudden, you were gone**   
**and I found myself stuck**   
**in an endless limbo."**

\- Unknown

**~~~~~~~~~~~**

(extra quote because it is emotional)

When Annabeth saw Silena from across the gloomy garden, the reality of what was happening hit her. For the first time in a long time, she removed her Camp Half-blood necklace.

It was unfairly colourful and full of memories.

Families and friends of the three deceased soldiers sat together and mourned. They had made sure everyone willing to attend could do so. The other two deceased soldiers' parents were weeping together. Beckendorf, however, didn't have a family. Silena was everything to him. To support her, the Camp Half-blood members were on Beck's side. The Royals sat at the front, or well, in this case, it was just Percy and Tyson.

They couldn't reveal that the men who had died were special forces agents or that they had passed away in any major way during a serious operation. It got classified as military deaths - which happened every day anyway. That was why Paul and Sally couldn't stay. (They paid their respects, of course.)

It made Annabeth wonder how much sacrifice a royal had to make.

However, she wasn't so scared anymore. She wanted to be in Sally's place. She wished to make those life-changing decisions.

She wanted to be with Percy.

The only problem was: She wasn't the only person feeling this way. Back when Selection started, Annabeth had branded a few girls as 'after the throne.'

She wasn't so sure anymore.

Drew, the first person she had labelled, looked genuinely disturbed by everything that was going on. Her usual flirtatious girly personality had dissolved. Also, she kept looking in the Prince's direction. Annabeth couldn't say why.

_Could she pull off the all-convincing act?_

On the other hand, Calypso had (not-so-subtly) revealed that she was indeed after the throne (in the dining table, in front of a few Selected). She was the first person to break down into tears after his outburst - something Annabeth never expected.

Calypso was so strong, forward, beautiful and brave. So far, she had the best improvement records in Willow's class and the tournament. She didn't always win. However, Annabeth could say she was doing her best.

_Wasn't she after the throne? Does she have feelings for him now?_

It was so confusing.

She didn't know what to feel.

Percy suddenly got up and went forward to face Silena. He told her something to which she only held on to his arms and cried harder, shaking her head. Silena hadn't bothered changing her dress. Out of all the funeral dresses, hers stood out as the only multicoloured one.

_How long was she here?_

No one had the heart to tell her to change. She was crying non-stop for as long as anyone could tell.

Silena stopped sobbing for a second and glanced at the Selected. She then said something to Percy, to which he shook his head and squeezed her right shoulder.

Percy's hands were trembling.

"Hey, are you alright?" Lady Zoe asked. "Do you know them?"

Annabeth hadn't realized that she'd started crying. She wiped the teardrops away. "Yeah." She sucked in a breath. "I was close to one of them. We all were."

Katie placed her hand on Annabeth's back and rubbed it in circular motions. Neither of them told her shallow things like 'I'm sorry' or 'It will be alright.' They knew that it was useless.

After a while, Percy looked around in search of someone and called Piper over. She was the unofficial representative of the Selected for the day as she was the least drunk out of all the girls. Silena leaned heavily on Piper and sobbed as they moved away from the crowd.

She was probably going to change into something appropriate for the ceremony.

Since they didn't want to bring too much attention to the deaths, they had decided to conduct a simple standard ceremony elsewhere. They had asked the outsiders to come to the place directly and made the coffin arrangements at the palace. For the same reason, neither Percy nor the Selected would be attending the official ceremony.

Crowding the place wasn't safe considering everything that was going on.

The Prince looked around at the audience who were mainly the Selected, immediate parents of the deceased, and several guards who knew the deceased. Annabeth managed to steal his attention for a second. When they locked eyes, it was obvious from the way he was walking that he was trying his best not to get emotional.

Jason handed over a mic to Percy. He addressed the crowd. "We -um- they'll be leaving soon." He breathed in deeply. "Anyone who isn't attending the formal ceremony can p-pay their respects or t-talk now i-if you wish to. Y-you can leave whenever you wish." He nodded to himself. "Th-t-thank you."

He set the mic down on the mini table and walked straight towards Tyson. They talked to Jason for a while and walked out together after.

Annabeth got up as soon as Percy left. She didn't wait for any Selected. She rushed into the girl's changing rooms (same as the ones they used for the tournament) and found Silena almost instantly. She had finally stopped weeping and was staring at the black dress she was wearing.

As if possessed, she suddenly tore the see-through overlays of the dress with her bare hands. "It's all MY MY fault." She shouted."He TOLD ME! He asked me to go on vacation with him!" In a rage, she plucked on the materials in her wrist and neck and struggled with them until they all came off. "I sh-should've forced him not to postpone!" She started crying.

What was left was a shabby plain black long material.

Annabeth and Piper stared at her, stunned. As soon as she saw Annabeth, she lunged forward in inhumanly way. She grabbed on to Annabeth, squeezed her with all her might, and sobbed harder.

"He-he-he should be in va-vaca-tion wi-with m-me now." Annabeth looked at her with a lump formed in her throat. "But h-he's just-ju -gone." Tears ran down Silena's cheeks.

~~~~~~

After taking care of Silena for a while, Annabeth stepped out of the changing rooms. Silena had to leave soon and had requested Piper to help her look a little decent. Annabeth had excused herself because she felt too emotional and was afraid it would hurt Silena if she started crying.

When she came out, about half of the Selected had left. Not wanting to go in the same direction as them, she took the longer route. On her way back, she was surprised by a sudden collision sound - like someone was intentionally hitting the wall. In a split second, she was more alert than ever.

Percy was sitting alone on a single sofa in a nearby room, and he was throwing things on the wall.

She didn't hesitate for a second. She opened the door. Caught red-handed; Percy was first shocked, then he looked away, facing the wall. "P-please g-go back to y-your room."

"Hey," she ran in. Percy sucked in a breath and shook his head, but she was already fighting to look at him. When he didn't give in, she hugged him from one side awkwardly. "Talk to me."

Percy sobbed.

Seeing him like this made Annabeth go crazy. _Why was he feeling so bad?_

"H-Heyy, it-it's not your fault." He shook his head at her. "Seaweed Brain, how were you supposed to know that any of this was going to happen?"

"I-I knew i-it was- dangerous-" he sniffled. "-that's w-why we sent a secret t-team-"

It was hard to stop her eyes from watering up. "Besides!" she tried to reason, "It's Beckendorf. He would have gone anyway!"

"NO, HE WOULDN'T." He snapped. His eyes were all red, and he was flushed over because of the tears.

She didn't know what to say.

"I-WE ASKED HIM TO GO! Because we wanted a direct report!" He shouted, still seated. "I could've sent back up earlier, but I didn't! I was too caught up in the Selection and then the attack, and then I thought-" He looked around in anger.

Percy was like a ticking bomb slowly exploding.

"Annabeth, I THOUGHT-" He pointed furiously at himself. "- that we'll put them in danger if I sent extra hands and it would give away the location! THEY NEEDED OUR HELP, AND I DIDN'T GO BY THE BOOKS." He slapped the sofa in rage. "I KILLED THEM- HIM."

Annabeth flinched involuntarily. She unconsciously stepped away from him.

It was as if someone cut the time bomb at the eleventh hour. He was angry one second, then surprised and alarmed next.

"Hey-" His eyes were wide. "N-no, no, no, I-I'm I'm sorry." In a swift motion, he grabbed her hands and made her sit on his lap.

Annabeth was instantly extremely awkward and stiff.

_Since when did they get this comfortable?_

He didn't say anything. He sneaked one hand around her waist and leaned on her shoulder like he was cuddling her - only, on a sofa. He took deep breaths to calm himself down. He sighed.

On the other hand, Annabeth tried _hard_ to calm her heartbeat down. _Hey_ _! Not the right time! Stop! Get lost!_

He chuckled, but it was full of raw emotions. "You still smell bad. Better... but bad."

She stared at the wall in shock, not able to digest how close he was. He didn't pull away even when she fidgeted uncomfortably. Annabeth had no idea what he was thinking.

"Du-don't change the, ah, topic." Her eyes were wide, and her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Did I scare you?"

"Perc-!" She whispered.

"Did I? Tell me, please." He was still trembling.

"No-yes?" She shook her head. "No. Um, i-it's okay t-to feel everything you-y-you're feeling-"

He hissed. "I was mad at me. I'm sorry." He pleaded. "Serious. I-", he searched for words. "I didn't mean to."

She frowned. The sudden change in his behaviour was damn confusing. He waited for her to answer, but the more she sat on his lap, the more she fidgeted. Her cheeks were starting to feel hot. She looked down.

Percy seemed to catch on to the mood shift. He pulled away, looking hurt. The minute he let go of her shoulder, she awkwardly - but immediately - got up. She put distance between them and looked away.

He followed her, scratching his neck. "Was-uh- that n-not okay? Um- Yesterday, you were the one-" He shook his head. "Nevermind."

Annabeth's throat felt dry. She turned abruptly to face him. "Don't get like that with me."

She dared to look at him. The puppy-dog confused look with the dried-up tears and puffed face (because of the crying) almost cracked her up, but, made her emotional at the same time.

"I thought - I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" He was conflicted.

"No, not that." She stepped closer. "Don't shout at me. I hate it. Just talk to me instead."

Now that her mind didn't have a short circuit, she remembered Percy's terribly hurt look. She was confused, yes, but also incredibly concerned.

He still looked on the edge but managed a small smile. He nodded. "Never. Never again."

She looked at him sympathetically. "Do you wanna talk? I can stay if you like."

"No." He denied. "I-It's s-something I need to deal with."

She nodded but wasn't too happy about that. It was okay to open up. Percy had to understand it. Then again, if he wasn't ready--

"Actually-" He took out a small box from his pocket. "I need to get this off of my chest." He gave her a vulnerable look.

She didn't really understand what was going on, but naturally, her curiosity kicked in. She took the box from him and opened it.

It had a single stone ring sitting on a small maroon cushion. It was unmistakeably a wedding ring.

_Out of nowhere-?_

Her heartbeat picks up, although it made absolutely no sense to her brain. _Why was Percy carrying around a wedding ring?_

"It's Beckendorf's." His face scrunched up in pain again.

Annabeth's world came to a halt.

Too many things fit in at once.

Silena had mentioned that she was supposed to go on a vacation-

The boys, especially Percy and Jason, had been intentionally avoiding Annabeth ( _and maybe all the other girls_ , she thought) -

The small smirks and glances here and there in the hallways -

The last time Annabeth saw them, Beckendorf did seem unusually bright around Silena.

Her face scrunched up in horror. She looked back at Percy, and it was clear as day that he was trying to push down the emotions. The tear lines on his cheek were fresh, and his forehead was all red.

He wasn't done yet.

Percy nodded. "H-he was g-gonna pr-propose." He looked at his hands in disgust. "Wh- what -- H-how am I so-supposed to te-tell Silena?"

Annabeth could feel him starting to break down.

She extended her hands out to him. Percy looked down, frowning and she closed the gap between them. The minute she started caressing his hair, he faced away from her and whimpered.

When she hugged him, he buried his head on the crook of her neck and sobbed silently. So silently that she was worried if he could sense that her eyes had watered up and started pouring out too. She hugged him tighter. She didn't know who needed more consoling here.

She simply couldn't believe how cruel the universe was.

It had willingly taken away every ounce of happiness from two young brilliant souls.

How could life be this unfair?

Percy looked at her and opened his mouth to say something. As if destined, someone threw open the door that exact minute.

Was it just Annabeth or was Jason invading people's privacy a lot these days?

Jason didn't even hesitate. It was as if he was watching from the outside and already knew what they were on about. "Why do you have a dagger on you?" He questioned sharply.

For a second, Annabeth didn't realize that he was talking to her. As soon as Jason had barged in, Percy had let her go. She looked at him, puzzled. Jason expertly reached down to her high shoes and took the dagger out.

He pointed it to Percy. "Did you know about this?"

"Ah, n-no." He frowned. "Annie - why? Why would you carry a dagger to a funeral?"

"Given everything that is going on, I thought we should keep something in hand all the time. Just in case. I didn't realize that I'd forgot to take it out."

Percy and Jason shared a look.

Jason didn't look too happy about it, and Percy tried to play it cool. "Um- maybe a Selected carrying a knife doesn't exactly fit the mood." He remarked.

"Why? Everyone knows we had intense training."

"Just - don't, alright?" Jason dropped the dagger on the table. "I'm sorry for barging in." He looked at Percy, but Percy seemed to agree with whatever it is that Jason meant by his look.

Percy looked away and wiped his tears as they made small talk. Soon enough, Chris, Connor, Travis and Frank joined them.

Frank said. "We've dispatched the rescue team for the other half of the team. They're fine. Nothing major."

Chris looked especially shaken up. "One at a time. The eliminations list is out. I suggest - don't show your face for the day."

Annabeth's mind was on full alert again.

_Eliminations?_

_She wasn't-_

_Right?_

Annabeth made a sudden move to leave, and Percy blocked her. "No news for you."

They stared at each other a little too long, which made everyone else feel awkward. Chris coughed.

"Jeez, I don't get you." Connor started. "Why do you let the good ones go so early?"

"Yeah, if I were you, I'd wanna use my resources when I-" Travis shrugged. "Ouch! What was that for?" He glared at Jason.

Jason glared heavily in Annabeth's direction as if to remind him of something. Travis looked at her as if he was looking right through her. "Hey, mate." He leaned on Connor. "Do you see anything over here?"

Connor looked behind her too. "Just an old sofa. Why're you so sensitive?" He accused Jason. "It's only the guys. It's not like we don't share detail- Ouch, shit, stop it."

"Haha, very funny." Percy rolled his eyes.

Annabeth: "Am I the only one missing something?"

Travis and Connor: "Did you guys hear someone? I didn't see -"

Jason: "They're children who want revenge for last night."

Connor: "Hey! It was serious! She had no idea who we were, but she could recognize you well. That's not fair!"

Frank: "What now?"

Travis, clicking his tongue: "Annabeth got pretty drunk yesterday and barged into Percy's room."

Frank widened his eyes at Annabeth. Annabeth widened her eyes back at Travis.

_WHAT?_

_THE HELL?_

_AM I MAD???_

Jason: "You were a mess. First-class."

Annabeth, now exasperated: "What happened???"

Percy looked away.

Travis: "Well, there was this part where you thought it was your room and tried to sleep on Percy's bed-"

Embarrassment crawled up her veins like never before.

_WHAT_

_HAVE_

_I_

_DONE??_

Connor: "Then you were feeling sick and asked Percy to help you-"

He stopped abruptly. Jason, Percy and Travis were all glaring at him.

Chris, still looking down: "Then?"

Jason, brushing it off: "Lot of useless details. You just feel asleep after a while. Nothing really happened-" He gave Percy a weird look. "-to you, I mean."

Percy was clenching his teeth.

Connor, waving his hands: "I mean, yeah, nothing exciting. Except, at one point you just gave Percy a really frustrating bone-"

Percy stumped his leg - _hard_.

"Ow- guys! Stop it." Connor protested.

She simply couldn't help herself. "I troubled you?" Her eyebrows came together.

Percy only gave her a side glance. "No- it was - um - no big deal. You just-"

Chris and Frank's eyes were as wide as tennis balls.

Percy glared at all of them as he answered. "You just gave me a frustrating _bone ache._ " He smiled forcefully. "You're heavy, Annabeth. I carried you down, remember?"

Jason mumbled: "No, you didn't."

Frank hit him on the back of his head. "Yes. Yes, he did. I saw him." He gave Jason a weird look.

Annabeth scratched her head, and she left the room with confusion and embarrassment. What she couldn't understand was: 1) Connor was getting death threats from Percy. 2) After a moment of silence, they all burst out laughing.

And, 3) Except for Percy - who instead of laughing, took the nearby pillow and hit himself with a weird kind of secretive smile on his face.

Annabeth was frustratingly confused.

.......

The rest of the week went by without any drama, mostly because the Prince got busy again.

Or well, anyone else would have thought so but Calypso knew better.

She and Prince Percy were sitting opposite each other. She was trying to convince the council in favour of a recent petition. Percy was watching. The petition stated that online courses and education fees must be normalised and subscription rates on apps. It also argued that these courses/services must be graded against each other not to get fooled by the advertisements.

Calypso couldn't think of one reason why the council would be against something so obvious - but that's exactly the position they took!

It was irritating to sit with them.

"Argument." She raised against Councilwoman Athena. "You stand for creator's rights, and I agree. What about consumer rights?"

Athena subtly rolled her eyes and started to reply.

"Before!" Calypso stopped her. "Before you argue that all the terms and conditions are clearly laid out. We all know that nobody reads them fully. We know that the words are manipulated. And- okay! Monetization idea may not work the best, but I can't see why we cannot allow an expert's neutral opinion."

"Then, all the companies would simply bribe the expert, and the public will be misguided all over again." Councilman Hermes put forward. "Lady Calypso, I know you support it for good, but you fail to take a business stand."

The ending bell rang.

"It'll be lesser-" She started.

"Council's stand is set." Councilwoman Athena got up and gave Calypso a look. "I hardly think this topic needs a time extension when there are much more important matters to be addressed." She glared at Prince Percy.

He shrugged. "The number of people talking about the petition is off the roof. We had to address it at some point."

After the 4 council members left the room, Calypso sighed. "They're impossible!"

He laughed. "You asked for it."

"My mistake. My mistake. How do you deal with this all day every day?"

He chuckled. "They're not like that to me. Well... Athena is, everyone else isn't."

Calypso walked over and sat on the chair next to the Prince. "Hmm... Because her daughter is in the Selection?"

Percy's smile dropped.

"You'd be surprised how much one can learn from the Selected." She laughed.

He didn't let it go. "You're really not supposed to know that."

"What can I do?" She leaned forward on the table and rested her head over her arms. "I can't unlearn things. Annabeth doesn't know I know so..." She shrugged. "I heard General Frederick Chase shout something about a divorced councilwoman and that he was sorry. It's not so hard to fill in the blanks."

"When did that happen? How do I not know this?"

"Because you were too busy in Effla province with your little crush - Lady Rachel - that you so badly wanted to hide from Lady Annabeth." She thought about it for a second. "-and maybe even the rest of us."

He stared at her in surprise or bewilderment. "You scare me sometimes."

She grinned. "Not a bad thing, is it? But hey! I didn't take any personal offence with that. You didn't really know me back then."

He closed the laptop and faced her. "So you suggest things would've been different had I known you?"

"Well, aren't they?" She retorted.

He smiled. "Fair enough."

"Besides, the fact that I'm the only one getting to do this must mean _something_ , right?"

"Not really." He teased. "The rest are either not persuading enough, or I don't trust them that much, or I don't like them so much, or they can't handle it, or they haven't asked me."

Her smile fell. He was hiding this from them. She wondered what all he hid from her.

Yet, she smiled and teased back. "So that means you like me, trust me, I'm persuasive, and I can handle it."

He got awkward. "I mean- s-some points more than the others."

She nodded. Her mind couldn't help it. "That's five different girls, isn't it?" She quietly put forward.

Percy looked away. "Yeah." He got up and breathed deep. "It is surprising how open we can be when we know you're not into me."

Calypso stilled. _That's not true._

_Not anymore._

He looked at her. "It's okay. You're pretty amazing in many ways. With all that courage, you definitely make a good Queen."

She tried to lighten the mood. "We're already talking about me being Queen now?"

He looked at his tattoo. "To be honest, I don't even know what I'm looking for."

_That's obvious. You're all over the place._

"I mean-" He leaned on the chair. "You're all... different."

"Obviously?" She retorted. **(Hey! Reference finding time. Hint: HP reference.)**

"You're great with the council. I'm sure people will like you. You're bold and-"

"Beautiful?"

He gave her a look but wasn't bothered by the interruption. Looking at the wall, he said, "No one denies that."

She gave him a teasing look.

He didn't notice. "I'm thinking so much from other's point of view that I'm not sure what I want." He sighed, shaking his head. "Enough retrospect for one day. We should get going. I have work."

_Lie._

_She knows enough to know Percy doesn't really work after 6._

_So, it's a date._

_But- with who?_

She was especially curious this time because he's been keeping away these few days since the funeral. She understood that he probably needed some alone time (which is why it was such a struggle to persuade him to let her in on a council meeting, however small).

But, it made more sense to use the Selected as a distraction from the whole deal than to stay away from them. (According to traditional stereotypes about men at least.)

_He is acting really weird._

"Alright." He picked up the laptop. "See you on the next date. Ah, I mean, personal meeting." Something fell, and she had enough time to catch a glimpse of it before he hastily picked it up.

It was a stone. At least, that's what she saw.

_Should I tell him I like him?_

_Is it the logical diplomatic way to handle the Selection right now?_

_I really do like parts of him._

He looked at her warily - like he was praying she didn't see.

 _What's so secretive about a stone?_ ( **Let's see who finds this out before the next chapter. It is related to this story. Not PJO/HoO**. **Clue: It is July.** )

_See? Weird behaviour!_

Just when he reached the door. She decided she had to come out of her closet. "Your majesty?"

He slowly turned around like he was dreading something. Her heart started beating hard in an abnormal way.

"Don't lie to me more than you absolutely have to." She bailed out at the last moment.

He frowned in amusement, blinked in confusion and nodded.

Calypso wanted to whine. _WHY CAN'T I SAY IT??!_

_I should just do it before it is too late!_

"Perseus!" She called out in panic.

He turned back in surprise. She's never called him by his name before.

"You are wrong."

He frowned harder. "About?"

"When y-you said we're open with each other because I'm not interested in you. You were wrong. You still lie!" She shouted the last part.

He stood there, not knowing what was going on.

She shook her head and faced him. "That's not my point!" She sounded frustrated with herself. "I don't care if you lie. Well- Nevermind! I'm supposed to say I have feelings for you." She stopped abruptly.

Prince Percy stood there wordlessly.

"I like you, your highness." She confirmed. "No. I-" She thought about it. "I like you, Percy Jackson."

"You're kidding, right?" - was his immediate response. "Some mental trick playing here?" When he looked at her, she looked terribly serious.

"Why?" He asked. "Why- why not Prince Percy? Why.... me?"

_Jeez, is this how he responds to every confession?_

"You are enough." She confessed.

For someone dealing with these many girls at once, she thought he processed these things better, but it was the opposite. He was in utter conflict.

"You know that only complicates things, right, Lady Calypso?" He refused to change their dynamics.

She felt like throwing her laptop on him.

"You were so easy to be around. You are logical. No drama. I was- I thought -" He told himself. "I'll see you later." He looked down.

He didn't look pleased. No, he looked like he was regretting something.

Calypso felt a weird kind of limp in her throat as he walked away.

_I'm not crying over a boy._

.........

**Whoooa guys that was hard to write.**

**To heal you and redeem myself, I'll give you Percabeth immediately next chapter so stay tuned.**

**Please, leave kudos for my hard work and COMMENT!. It helps. Keeps me motivated. 😅😅 I absolutely completely love to read those comments and reply.**

**Find out what that stone thing is!**

Before you start hating Percy, please remember that he already feels guilty that he has complicated the Selection. Calypso was so easy to be around because they got along well, and he could see things clearly with her since their relationship wasn't affected by any drama.

He feels like he lost that. The more people who like him, the more people he would have to hurt at the end - which is why he is conflicted.

Before you start hating me about the Beckendorf's ring part, I want to explain. This is again, one of the preplanned things. I can't skip it because otherwise, the story won't feel like it is mine. 😔😔

It looks like I'm a sucker for sad roms, deep roms and romantic roms - especially the friends to lovers kind.

Anyway...

**Calypso confessed! Any shippers here?**

**I promise it won't be sad forever, so don't give up hopes, ever, okay?**

**Good things are ahead too. That's what life is. Full of bad and good.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary:
> 
> 1) Rachel and Percy talked about the intruder.
> 
> 2) The Stolls, Jason, Percy and Silena found something wrong with Beck's chats with Silena, so Percy and Jason wanted to dig in more.
> 
> 3) Jason saw no one entered or exited Percy's room but found no one in. Since Annabeth was the last person to stay with him, he interrogated her (plus the whole thing about Annabeth being in the Platinums list didn't help)
> 
> 4) By then, Jason knows Beck died and is thinking Percy is missing. However, Percy had just gone out for a breather. Percy saw Jason shouting at Annabeth and hit him for it.
> 
> 5) The funeral.
> 
> 6) Annabeth comforted Percy. He got emotional because... you know... Beckendorf was planning to propose to Silena that week but didn't get the chance to. Percy was holding onto the ring because they wanted it to be a surprise.
> 
> 7) Calypso had another 'date' with Percy, but she requested him to let her into one of the council meetings for this date. After a lot of persuasion on her side, he did it, and the confession episode happened after the meeting.

**Author's Note:**

> BEFORE YOU GUYS DECIDE MY WORK IS COPYWRITTEN,  
> I have posted the same story in other sites too so yeah..


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